[00:00:01]
UM, OUR GREENBERG TOWN BOARD[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH OFFICE OF THE TOWN BOARD 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY 10607 Tel: 914-989-1525 Fax: 914-993-1541 Email: HCancro@GreenburghNY.com https://greenburghny.com/485/Watch-Live-Board-Meetings]
WORK SESSION.TODAY IS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2ND, AND IT'S 5 56, UM, PM SO, UM, WE HAVE A BUNCH OF ITEMS JUST CHECKING.
DO WE HAVE SOUND BECAUSE THERE'S A MIC CROSSED OUT ON THE SCREEN.
OKAY, SO WE HAVE A BUNCH OF ITEMS. THE FIRST ITEM, IT SAYS HOLIDAY DISCUSSION.
THIS IS, I PUT, I PUT THAT ON THE CALENDAR.
SO LAST YEAR I, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN, I FEEL LIKE THE DESPAIR OF THE HOLIDAYS FOR THE TOWN ISN'T REALLY, UH, REFLECTED, UM, AT THE TOWN HALL.
AND I ASKED LAST YEAR FOR PUBLIC WORKS TO PUT DECORATIONS AROUND A TREE, UM, MAKE IT A CHRISTMAS TREE OR A TREE, AND THEN HAVE LIGHTS AS LEADING UP TO THE, UM, TOWN HALL JUST SO WE HAVE SOME FESTIVE AND, YOU KNOW, JUST FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON.
UM, IT IS NOT UNCOMMON THROUGHOUT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND I FEEL WE NEED TO DO IT HERE IN GREENBURG THIS YEAR.
UM, UH, THE MAKEUP OF THE, THE MAKEUP OF THE, UH, THE DECORATIONS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE TREES THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR.
'CAUSE WE HAVE NEW GREENERY, UM, CURRENTLY ON THAT PATH LEADING UP TO, LEADING UP TO THE TOWN HALL BUILDING.
SO I WAS HOPING THAT WE COULD AT LEAST HAVE LIGHTS GOING, LIGHTS GOING THAT PLACE, GOING THAT ROUTE, AND ALSO LIGHTS ON A CHRISTMAS ON ONE OF THE TREES THAT, ONE OF THE BIG TREES THAT WE HAVE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING.
WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR AND ACTUALLY HAVING A COUPLE OF CONVERSATIONS WITH RESIDENTS THAT WE HAVE A HOLIDAY LIGHTING, WE'VE NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE.
AND SO I'M SUGGESTING AS STAFF IS NOW WORKING TO PUT THOSE LIGHTS UP, UM, FOR THE HOLIDAYS THAT WE DO A HOLIDAY LIGHTING ON DECEMBER 10TH, UM, AT SIX O'CLOCK, UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE A TOWN BOARD MEETING, I BELIEVE, UM, I BELIEVE IT'S AT SEVEN OR SEVEN 30 ON THE 10TH, UM, JUST TO, FOR THE RESIDENTS TO COME OUT.
UM, WE LIGHT OUR LIGHTS, UM, PERHAPS HAVE SOME SORT OF HOT CHOCOLATE OR SOMETHING.
I BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA BE GETTING A DONATION IN FOR THAT.
UM, JUST TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, KICK OFF THE HOLIDAY SEASON.
UM, SO JUST WANTED TO GET SOME FEEDBACK AND SOME THOUGHTS ON THAT AND TO SEE, TO SEE WHAT THE TOWN BOARD THOUGHTS ON.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY NICE.
AND WHY, WHY SHOULDN'T WE HAVE SOMETHING FESTIVE AT TOWN HALL? UM, I, I AGREE.
I JUST SAW IT WAS MENTIONING THERE IS, UH, UH, A DEDICATION OF, UM, A NEW, UH, BUSINESS AT FIVE 30 ON THE 10TH.
AND, UH, THE, I BELIEVE THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS ALSO HAVING AN EVENT.
THE CHAMBER IS HAVING AN EVENT THAT THAT DAY, THAT DAY.
SO I'M WONDERING, COULD WE DO IT ON, UM, ON THE NINTH INSTEAD, YOU KNOW, UH, POSSIBLY, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER TIME YOU WANT.
OR IT COULD BE WHATEVER, WHATEVER DATE THAT WE CAN HAVE A CONSENSUS OF ON THE BOARD THAT WE CAN AT LEAST GET IT NOTED SO WE CAN HAVE RESIDENTS COME OUT.
WELL, IT COULD BE ON THE 11TH.
THERE'S NOT, I DON'T, BUT ON 10TH WE'VE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE.
WE HAVE, UM, ADUS WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE PEOPLE ACTUALLY THERE INSTEAD OF US JUST BEING THERE AND TURNING ON THE LIGHTS.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT THERE'S TWO EVENTS THAT I HAVE TO GO TO, SO I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO BE THERE.
WELL, IF WE DO IT ON THE NINTH, NINTH IS FINE.
HOW ARE YOU WITH THAT, GINA? THE NINTH? WHAT, WHAT IT'S, WE COULD START THE WORK SESSION HALF AN HOUR LATER.
AT SIX O'CLOCK AND THEN, BECAUSE IT'LL DEFINITELY BE DARK.
AND THEN AT FIVE 30 HAVE THE THAT'S PERFECT.
SO I'M GONNA PUT THE MOTOR ASIDE.
WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN START AT FIVE 30, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE WORK SESSION AT SIX, SO I'LL GET THE, I'LL GET THAT FLYER OUT.
OR MAYBE WE EVEN START AT FIVE 15 OR SOMETHING, WHATEVER YEAH.
AND YOU KNOW, IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S JUST, IT'S LIGHTS ON THE FOLIAGE AND THE BUILDING, UM, WHITE LIGHTS ON THE FOLIAGE AND BUILDING, WHICH IS DECORATIVE AND LOVELY AND FESTIVE AND NON-DENOMINATIONAL.
IT JUST CELEBRATES THE HOLIDAY SEASON THAT WE'RE ALL PARTAKING IN.
WELL, THERE IS ALSO A TREE THOUGH, WHICH IS FINE.
THAT'S WHAT GINA JUST MENTIONED.
NO, THERE'S NO TREE, BUT IT'S NOT IT'S CUT.
THERE IS A TREE BEHIND, BEHIND WHERE THE, UM, THE PARKING SPACES WHERE WE HAVE, WHERE WE HAD, WHERE WE USED TO PARK THOSE PARKING SPACES THAT WAS DESIGNATED FOR THE TOWN BOARD FOR THEIR MEETINGS IN THAT AREA.
AND WE WILL, WE WILL THE SAME TREE THAT, THE SAME TREE THAT WE
[00:05:01]
DID LAST YEAR, WE DECORATED LAST YEAR.OKAY, NEXT, UH, THE A DU DISCUSSION, JUST TO MAKE SURE, I'M SORRY.
UH, WE ARE, IT'S GONNA BE AT FIVE 15.
THE, THE LIGHTING, DON'T YOU THINK THAT GIVE 'CAUSE THE OTHER, LIKE THE LAST, UH, EVENT WE HAD RAN SO LATE, SO MAYBE FIVE 15 MAKES SENSE IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE HOT CHOCOLATE AND THAT KIND OF THING.
RATHER THAN FIVE NO, WE WERE SAYING WE WOULD START OUR, UM, SORRY, FIVE 30 TO SIX.
NO, WE SAID WE WOULD OH, YOU SAID FIVE 30.
I'M SAYING WE COULD START THE LIGHTING AT FIVE 15.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHAT, HOLD ON.
I THINK FIVE 15 FOR LIGHTING, I JUST, WE GOTTA JUST BE MINDFUL OF PEOPLE COMING FROM WORK.
SO I THINK FIVE 15 IS A LITTLE EARLY, SO I THOUGHT WE WERE DOING SOMETHING CLOSER TO SIX.
OH NO, THAT, THAT'S HOW WANTED TO CLARIFY THE TIME.
SO IF, IF IT'S FIVE 30, THAT'S NO PROBLEM.
YOU'LL JUST ADD IT TO THE AGENDA AS LIGHTING.
WE COULD START OUR WORK SESSION AT FIVE 30 AND THEN GO OUT AT SIX.
BUT, AND YOU KNOW, IF WE GET SOMETHING DONE, I AGREE.
WE'RE GOTTA GET MANY FEWER PEOPLE ON A TUESDAY THAN A WEDNESDAY, PARTICULARLY WITH WHAT'S ON THERE.
SO IF WE GIVE AT LEAST SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO COME HOME FROM WORK, YOU KNOW, IT'S BETTER.
RIGHT? IT'S BETTER THAN OTHERWISE.
SO WE SCHEDULE FOR SIX O'CLOCK.
DO YOU THINK TIME OR WE SCHEDULE FOR SIX 30, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE GONNA, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE GONNA START A MEETING, HAVE A, HAVE A FEW ITEMS THAT WE DISCUSSED, THEN GO OUT AND THEN HAVE IT, I THINK THAT'LL BE A GOOD TIME FOR PEOPLE TO COME OUT AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THOSE WHO WANNA STAY AND PARTAKE, THEY CAN AND WE CAN COME BACK AND CONTINUE THE MEETING.
DO WE HAVE A, SO WE JUST NEED TO BE CLEAR ON THE TIME.
DO WE HAVE A BIG AGENDA FOR THE WORK SESSION ON THAT DAY, ON THE NINTH TO REVIEW? FOR SURE.
YEAH, I KNOW, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, OUTSIDE OF THAT, I DON'T KNOW.
WELL THAT'LL PROBABLY GUIDE US A LITTLE TOO.
SHOULD WE ADVERTISE IT AS SIX 15 OR SIX 30? I JUST, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANT TO, I'M, WE REALLY WANNA, I DUNNO GUYS, SIX O'CLOCK, I THOUGHT WE SAID SIX.
WE'RE GONNA MEET FROM FIVE 30 TO SIX, GO OUT FOR THE TREE FOR THE LIGHTING AND THEN EXECUTIVE SESSION COME BACK.
WHAT? AND THEN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WELL, DEPENDING ON WHAT WE'VE, WE'VE GOT EXACTLY RIGHT.
THERE'S A REFERENCE TO A CHRISTMAS TREE.
THERE'S A TREE THAT WE'RE GONNA DECORATE.
WHAT REFERENCE IS THAT? NO, THAT WAS A CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD.
YEAH, LET'S LET, LET ME CLARIFY.
A CHRISTMAS TREE IS NOT RELIGIOUS, IT'S SECULAR.
THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF THE UNITED STATES HAS SAID A CHRISTMAS TREE IS SECULAR.
I SAW SOME REFERENCES TO, WELL THEN WE HAVE TO HAVE A MENORAH.
WELL, IF YOU HAVE A CRASH, THEN YES, YOU SHOULD HAVE A MENORAH BECAUSE THEN BOTH OF THOSE ARE RELIGIOUS.
BUT A CHRISTMAS TREE IS SECULAR MAINLY FOR SELLING PRESENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT STARTED AS A PAGAN RITUAL WAS TAKEN OVER CHRISTIANITY, SOMETI FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME.
BUT FORGET IT, IT'S NO LONGER, IT'S NO LONGER RELIGIOUS.
WELL, NO, MANURE IS NOT RELIGIOUS.
I'M NOT TRYING TO START, I'M NOT TRYING TO START, I'M NOT TRYING TO START ANY, ANY JUST CLARIFYING DISCUSSION.
I JUST WANT, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, I JUST WANT THIS TO BE A FESTIVAL HAPPY, PEACEFUL EVENT.
SO I JUST, IF WE CAN CONFIRM THE TIME.
ARE WE LOOKING AT SIX O'CLOCK? CORRECT.
JUST TO MAKE A NOTE THAT THE VILLAGE IS DUE TO DO THEM SEPARATELY.
SO IF WE DECIDE WE WANT TO DO A, AN ADDITIONAL WE NORA PAPS, WE CAN DO THAT.
BUT LET'S DO THE, I DON'T FOLLOW WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
WELL, SO IN ALL THE VILLAGES, THEY HAVE A CHRISTMAS TREE AND THEN A MENORAH LIGHTING.
THOSE ARE THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THOSE HOLIDAYS.
THEY'RE NOT RELIGION, THEY'RE NOT RELIGIOUS.
EITHER OF THEM ARE NOT RELIGIOUS, ACTUALLY.
UM, SO IF WE DECIDE THAT WE WOULD, AND USUALLY THOSE ARE RUN BY THE HABAD.
THEY COME AROUND TO ALL THE VILLAGES AND THEY DO IT, THEY DO DUMPSTER ALSO.
SO MAYBE THEY WANT TO DO, AND THAT WOULD BE A NICE TRADITION FOR US TO START, PERHAPS.
WE'LL, WE CAN, WE CAN, YEAH, THAT'S FINE.
BUT I, I PERSONALLY HAVE NO PROBLEMS CALLING IT A CHRISTMAS TREE.
I DON'T CARE IF YOU CALL IT A HOLIDAY TREE, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT.
AS LONG AS IT'S, IT, WHEN PEOPLE ENTER THE PARKING LOT, IT SAYS, HEY, THERE'S
[00:10:01]
SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS TIME OF YEAR.IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR.
IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF YEAR, AS YOU COULD TELL.
YOU HAVE TO SING THAT I WAS ABOUT, I WAS JUST ABOUT TO ME.
IT'S EASY FOR YOU TO, ARE WE SIX? ARE WE SAYING 6:00 PM I'M JUST, I JUST WANNA BE CONFIRMED.
ALRIGHT, GOOD EVENING TOWN BOARD MEMBERS.
UH, GARY KAIN, COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION.
SO THE TOWN BOARD'S SET TO HOST A PUBLIC HEARING AGAIN ON DECEMBER 10TH RELATED TO ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS.
IT'S A CONTINUED HEARING AND WE WANT TO USE TIME DURING THIS WORK SESSION NOW TO SEE IF THE TOWN BOARD WOULD LIKE ANY ADDITIONAL CHANGES MADE TO THE LOCAL LAW.
THAT'S TO BE POSTED IN, IN ANTICIPATION OF THE HEARING NEXT WEEK.
SO, UM, WE DISTRIBUTED THE LOCAL LAW.
IT'S BEEN RECENTLY EMAILED AND, UH, I KNOW COUNCILWOMAN HABER SENT AROUND A COUPLE DISCUSSION POINTS.
UM, THAT WAS BASED ON THE TRANSCRIPT THAT WE RECEIVED, WHICH HAD BEEN DELAYED.
AND THEN GOING THROUGH THAT AND PULLING OUT WHAT SEEMED TO ME IMPORTANT THINGS TO TALK ABOUT.
SO WE CAN USE THAT AS A LAUNCH POINT AND THEN SEE WHAT OTHER TOWN BOARD MEMBERS, UM, MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE TO ADD TO THAT.
SO WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SUMMARIZE OR? SURE, GO RIGHT AHEAD.
SO JUST AS A QUICK RECAP, UH, THE 10,000 SQUARE FOOT, UH, LOT SIZE MINIMUM WAS LOWERED BY THE TOWN BOARD TO 7,500 SQUARE FEET IN LIMITED INSTANCES, BUT LOWERED AS A RESULT OF PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND THAT 7,500 SQUARE FOOT, UH, LOWERING OF THE LOT SIZE, UH, WAS SPECIFIC TO ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS THAT ARE WITHIN A ONE FAMILY RESIDENCE AND NOT AN EXPANDED ONE.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN HABER POSED THE QUESTION, UM, SHOULD THE LOCAL LAW SIMILARLY DROP 7,500 SQUARE FEET ANY INSTANCE FOR A GARAGE CONVERSION? UM, AND I THINK THAT'S A QUESTION THAT, THAT SHE WANTED TO POSE TO THE BOARD, UM, WITH THE CAVEAT THAT ONE WOULD STILL HAVE TO SHOW, UH, THE REQUISITE THREE PARKING SPACES MM-HMM
UH, DESPITE CONVERTING A GARAGE, UH, AND, AND PRESUMABLY LOSING ONE OR TWO SPACES THAT'S WITHIN THAT GARAGE.
SO THAT, THAT WAS THE, THE, UM, FIRST TALKING POINT THAT THE COUNCILWOMAN, UH, RAISED TO ME, WHICH I CIRCULATED, UH, YESTERDAY FOR YOUR DISCUSSION.
AND DO WE KNOW HOW MANY GARAGES THIS POTENTIALLY IMPACTS? SO I DON'T HAVE THAT DATA RIGHT NOW.
UM, SORRY, BUT I, I CAN'T RECALL IF I MENTIONED THIS TO THE BOARD IN THE PAST.
IN GENERAL, THERE'S ACTUALLY NOT THAT MANY ACCESSORY, UH, STANDALONE GARAGES IN THE TOWN.
UH, AND I ONLY LEARNED THIS WHEN I WAS LOOKING FOR GRAPHICS TO DISPLAY ABOUT WHAT A GARAGE CONVERSION WOULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, AND MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, MANY BLOCKS JUST SIMPLY HAVE ATTACHED GARAGES OR, UM, NO GARAGE AT ALL.
SO, UM, I GENERALLY THINK THE NUMBER'S QUITE LOW, BUT I'M SURE THERE ARE SOME PERHAPS THAT ARE ON, UH, 7,500 SQUARE FOOT LOTS.
I USED TO HAVE ONE, SO THAT'S WHY I'M FAMILIAR WITH IT.
I'M IN PARTICULAR INTERESTED IN HOW MANY GARAGES THERE ARE IN AN R FIVE ZONE THAT ARE 7,500 SQUARE FEET THAT WOULD QUALIFY FOR THIS.
BECAUSE IN AN R FIVE, THERE'S NO SETBACK FOR YOUR DRIVEWAY.
UH, AND THAT CAN BE FURTHER COMPLICATED BY A GARAGE THAT MAY ALREADY HAVE A SECOND LEVEL ABOVE IT, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THERE ARE GARAGES THAT HAVE STORAGE ABOVE AND A SECOND THAT COULD BE CONVERTED.
AND THE LAW DOES ACCOUNT FOR THAT.
UM, IN THE SENSE THAT IF THAT WAS DONE LEGALLY AND SUBJECT TO A PROPER VARIANCE, UM, THERE COULD BE A CONVERSION IN THAT INSTANCE, UH, THAT WOULD ALSO, UH, BE REQUIRED ON A 10,000 SQUARE FOOT LOT.
BUT YOU, I'M NOT FOLLOWING ALSO SOMETHING OR WHAT, I'M NOT FOLLOWING WHAT YOUR AIRPLANE WAS.
SOMETIMES THERE ARE IN EXISTENCE.
THAT COULD BE CONVERTED TECHNICALLY SPEAKING TO AN APARTMENT.
SO WHEN, BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY IN EXISTENCE IF IT MM-HMM
WOULD JOY'S, UH, UH, SUGGESTIONS, UM, ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT, UH, YOU SCHWARTZ MADE, YOU KNOW, DURING THE HEARINGS, YOU KNOW, WHEN HE BASICALLY
[00:15:01]
WAS TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT, UM, THE 7,500, THE NEW 7,500 AMOUNT, BASICALLY, THERE'S SO MANY LOOPHOLES THAT IT'S STILL HARD FOR SOMEBODY TO, TO DO IT.I, I WOULD SAY IN GENERAL, I WOULD SUMMARIZE ADVOCACY INTO, I WOULD BROADEN ADVOCACY INTO, UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE THAT ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS AND, AND WANNA SEE THE OPTIONS MAXIMIZED.
UH, WE'RE SUPPORTIVE OF RELAXING VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE LAW.
SO NOT JUST TO DRILL DOWN ON THIS ONE, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, MR. SCHWARTZ AND MANY RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, WANNA SEE, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD GO DOWN TO 5,000 SQUARE FEET.
WE HEARD, UM, YOU KNOW, DON'T REQUIRE OFF STREET, EXTRA OFF STREET PARKING.
UH, NOT SUBSTANTIALLY JUST LIMITED.
MAYBE ONE OR TWO PEOPLE SAID THAT.
DOING WHAT COUNCILWOMAN IS SUGGESTING HEADS IN A DIRECTION OF, UH, ADDING A SMALL AMOUNT OF FLEXIBILITY.
UH, VERY LIMITED IN ALL LIKELIHOOD.
UM, I ALWAYS JUST GO BACK TO THE CLERK IN HER PARTICULAR SITUATION.
I, TRUST ME, I WAS GONNA SPEAK UP IN A MINUTE.
WHICH DOESN'T APPLY 'CAUSE YOU TOOK DOWN THE GARAGE, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND, BUT I DID HAVE A, UH, AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION TO WHAT, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, SHANNON HAD BROUGHT UP.
I GUESS WHAT BOTHERS ME IS WE WERE AT 10,000 SQUARE FEET AS A COMPROMISE.
WE WENT TO 7,500 AND WE SAID, OKAY, THAT'S IT.
WE'RE NOT GONNA REALLY MAKE ANY MORE CHANGES ON THAT WE USED AMONG THE BOARD.
BUT NOW IT'S OKAY, NOW IT'S 7,500, BUT NOW LET'S INCLUDE THE GARAGE.
AND THEN LATER PROPOSAL IS LET'S ALLOW EXPANDED DIRT, UH, DRIVEWAYS UP TO 20 FEET, WHICH IS NOT WHAT WE HAD IN OUR PROPOSAL.
AND IT'S NOT WHEN WE WENT TO 7,500.
AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS A CONCERN, IS THAT THERE WOULD BE A CREEPING, WELL NOW YOU HAVE THIS, DID YOU DO THE SAME FOR 5,000? WHAT DID YOU DO? UM, MEANWHILE WE KEEP DELAYING THE HEARINGS AND DELAYING THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE APPROVALS OF THIS THING.
AND THEN WE GET ACCUSED THAT WE'RE DELAYING ADOPTING SOMETHING ON A DU, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A, A WIN.
WELL I JUST FEEL LIKE IN PARTICULAR, THAT THE DRIVEWAY, UM, THE CONTAINING IT TO 20, I KNOW THAT TO HAVE YOUR CONCERN HAS TO DO WITH, UH, FRONT YARDS BEING MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, A*****E PAVED OVER, PAVED OVER.
AND I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND THAT CHANGES THE CHARACTER AND THE EVERYTHING.
UM, BY, HOWEVER, IF PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED CURRENTLY TO HAVE, WITHOUT AN A DU, THEY'RE ALLOWED TO HAVE A TWO, TWO CAR DRIVEWAY SITUATION WHERE THEY CAN BE SIDE BY SIDE, THEN WE'RE ACTUALLY RESTRICTING THEM MORE THAN IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE A DU.
UM, I MEAN IT'S CURRENTLY THEY CAN HAVE 30 FEET.
SO I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE LIKE A GOOD WAY TO, IF WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY GO DOWN TO 7,500 FEET TO MAKE IT FEASIBLE FOR THEM TO ACCOMMODATE THE PARKING BY MAKING IT WIDE ENOUGH FOR TWO CARS.
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, WIDTH WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR TWO CARS.
UH, I KNOW THAT IT'S LESS THAN 30 FEET THOUGH.
SO YOU JUST, SO THE REASON WHY I RAISED A 7,500 OR GREATER SQUARE FOOT LOT IN AN R FIVE IS AN R FIVE COULD BE 50 FEET WIDE.
AND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS 40% OF THE FRONT YARD COULD BE DRIVEWAY.
AND THAT MAY BE OKAY, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD BE STUDYING OVER THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR, UH, TO LOOK AT HOW MANY THERE ACTUALLY ARE.
IT MAY BE THAT THIS IS MEANINGLESS AND IT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING, BUT WE SHOULD KNOW THAT.
BUT IN, SO THIS IS A QUESTION IN R FIVE.
IS THE CURRENT ALLOWANCE 30 FEET FOR A DRIVEWAY WITHOUT, FOR PUTTING I THINK IT WOULD BE ON A WIDTH.
SO THEN WE HAVE A SITUATION NOW WHERE, WHICH WE'RE TRYING TO DO AWAY WITH.
SO, AND IMPLEMENTING THIS WOULD NOT, WOULD NOT INCREASE THAT.
IT WOULD, IT WOULD CONTAIN IT TO A, A SMALLER WIDTH.
NOT TO A SMALLER WIDTH, BUT TO THE SAME WIDTH? NO, TO 20 AS OPPOSED.
RIGHT NOW THEY CAN, RIGHT NOW THE WIDTH THAT IS ALLOWABLE IS 30 IN, IN R FIVE.
IF IT WAS AN A DU AND IT WAS ON AN, IN THE SAME, UH, R FIVE AREA, UH, ZONE, THEN IT WOULD BE CONTAIN TO 20 FEET, NOT ALLOWED TO BE 30 FEET.
SEE WHAT I MEAN? SO I THINK THIS IS WHAT I WAS PUSHING FOR ALL ALONG, BUT IT JUST GOT DELAYED.
THE CHANGES TO 2 85, WHICH ARE COMING, UH,
[00:20:01]
HOPEFULLY SOON.UH, IF WE DID THOSE IN PARALLEL, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO LOOK AT HOW DO WE ADDRESS THE DRIVEWAY WIDTHS, WHICH UNFORTUNATELY HAS BEEN DELAYED.
BUT ONE OF THE WAYS WE ADDRESS THAT IS BY REQUIRING LARGER LOT SIZES SO THAT IT DOESN'T BECOME AN ISSUE.
WE DID GO DOWN TO 7,500 SQUARE FEET.
UM, AND THAT'S KIND OF PUSHING IT DEPENDING ON WHAT LOT SIZE.
SEE THERE'S LOT SIZES AND THERE'S ZONING DISTRICTS AND YOU MIGHT HAVE A LOT SIZE THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE ZONING DISTRICT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
SOME HAVE PROPERTY IN THE FRONT, SOME HAVE PROPERTY IN THE BACK AND UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO COOKIE CUTTER WAY TO SORT OF APPROACH THAT.
I CAN'T SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S, BUT THEY'RE ALL GOING TO BE GOING UP FOR, YOU KNOW, IN FRONT OF THE PLANNING BOARD ANYWAY.
FOR APPLICATION AND IF IT'S APPROPRIATE.
AND IF THERE IS, THEY MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PARKING, IT, IT SORT OF PULLS ALL OF THESE CONCERNS.
UM, I THINK SORT OF PUSHES THEM TO THE SIDE.
'CAUSE THEY HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE PARKING ANYWAY.
BUT THIS DOES ALLOW AT LEAST FOR THEM TO HAVE A DRIVEWAY WHERE THEY COULD HAVE TWO CARS IF THEY WERE GONNA, LIKE IF YOU'RE GONNA GRANT THEM 7,500 A A LOWER LOT SIZE AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA ALLOW THEM TO HAVE TWO THE CAR WIDTH, IT'S SORT OF LIKE WELL THEN YOU'RE JUST DOING IT FOR THE SAKE OF DOING IT.
IT DOESN'T, IT'S NOT REALLY GONNA MATERIALIZE.
NO, I'M JUST SAYING THEY CAN'T EXPAND WHAT THEY ALREADY HAVE.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? I DON'T KNOW.
SO IF THEY HAVE A SINGLE WIDTH DRIVEWAY, YOU'RE, YOU'RE SAYING, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE PUT IN WHEN WE WENT DOWN TO 7 7500.
IT REALLY TROUBLES ME THAT WE, WE, AS A COMPROMISE THIS BOARD DECIDED, OKAY, THIS WOULD BE IT.
AND NOW WE'VE SPENT ABOUT SIX WEEKS, YOU KNOW, DEBATING ABOUT CHANGES.
WHAT'S THAT? WE NEVER AGREED TO THE COMPROMISE.
YOU AGREED TO COMPROMISE THE LAND USE COMMITTEE, YOUR LAND USE COMMITTEE, WHICH I'M NOT ALLOWED TO ATTEND.
IT'S NOT A I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT TO 7,500.
NO, I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT I SUPPORT JOY'S, UH, RECOMMENDATION.
WELL, INITIALLY JOY WAS THRILLED THAT WE DID THE 75.
WELL, I THINK JOYS RECOMMENDATIONS MAKE SENSE.
I SUPPORT JOY'S COMPROMISE SUGGESTIONS.
AND I ALSO FEEL THAT ANOTHER, UH, THING THAT WE SHOULD HIGHLIGHT IS, ISN'T THERE A LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF ADU THAT YOU COULD HAVE THE FIRST YEAR? UH, THERE WILL BE.
AND WHAT'S THE LIMIT? THAT'S UP TO US.
BUT SO THE THING IS, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY LESS THAN 10 HOMES THAT ARE GONNA BE IMPACTED BY THIS IN THE FIRST YEAR.
SO LET'S SAY THE COMPROMISE SUGGESTION THAT COUNCILWOMAN HABER IS SUGGESTING, IF IT DOESN'T WORK, UM, YOU KNOW, WE FIND OUT AFTER A YEAR THAT IT WASN'T THAT GREAT.
MAYBE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ONE HOUSE OR MAYBE TWO HOUSES, YOU KNOW, MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF, UH, WHAT IS IT? THERE'S LIKE 28,000 PARCELS OF PROPERTY.
AND ALL OF THEM IN DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS AS, AS COUNCILWOMAN HABER POINTED OUT.
SO I DON'T, YOU DON'T KNOW ONE COOKIE CUTTER SET UP DOESN'T FIT THE OTHER.
BUT, BUT ALL I'M SAYING, ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT I SORT OF FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, ADU EXIST ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, ALL OVER WESTCHESTER.
UH, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY COMMUNITY IN WESTCHESTER THAT HAS IT WHERE THERE'S BEEN A PROBLEM.
AND I FEEL THAT IF WE MAKE ADU, TO ME, YOU KNOW, MY GOAL WAS REALLY TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE WHO, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY CAN'T AFFORD TO STAY HERE, TO BE ABLE TO, UM, UH, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A DU.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, OPEN UP THE A DU OPTIONS TO MORE PEOPLE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND WE MIGHT VERY WELL IN A YEAR'S TIME.
SO THE, THE, THE IDEA AGAIN, WELL NOT JUST IN A YEAR'S TIME, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW WOULD OPEN IT UP TO MORE PEOPLE.
7,500 SQUARE FEET IS WHAT, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE, THAT'S, WE'VE ALREADY AGREED ON THAT.
SO NOT UP TO MORE PEOPLE FIGHTING THAT POTENTIALLY.
THIS MAY OPEN IT UP TO NOBODY.
BUT WHY WOULD WE HAVE HAVE SOMETHING IF WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE DATA TO SAY THAT IT'S GONNA BE MEANINGFUL? IF YOU, OKAY.
SO IF YOU, IF, IF THAT'S WHAT GARRETT WOULD LIKE TO, UH, WELL, SO WE WERE WAITING ON THE TRANSCRIPT TO SEE COMMENTARY.
I THOUGHT THAT'S WHY WE DIDN'T DISCUSS IT BEFORE.
SO WE HAVEN'T BEEN DISCUSSING IT FOR SIX WEEKS.
SO NOW THAT WE HAVE, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYONE
[00:25:01]
HAS READ THROUGH THE COMMENTARY.WELL EVERYONE, I WAS SURPRISED THAT IT WAS HELD OVER AT THE LAST MEETING.
'CAUSE I THOUGHT WE HAD AGREEMENT AS TO WHAT THE WORDING WOULD BE.
AND WE, WE WOULD HAVE ADU NOW, BUT THEN IT WAS HELD OVER FOR WHATEVER REASON, I GUESS TO ADD ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY.
UM, AND NOW I'M JUST STATING IS HOW MUCH DOES THIS DO? I THINK, AS OPPOSED TO US HAVING A STUDY, YOU KNOW, DOING THE STUDY WE SAY WE'RE GONNA DO, WHICH WE HAVE TO DO 'CAUSE THERE'S A SUNSET CLAUSE.
AND WE'LL HAVE ANSWERS TO SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS REGARDING, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S APPROPRIATE AND WHAT'S NOT.
AND, BUT WE'LL BE DOING IT IN A METHODICAL, A METHODO METHODOLOGY.
HOW, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE FOR YOU TO GET THAT ONE PIECE OF INFORMATION? PIECE OF INFORMATION? UH, I THINK THERE, SO THERE WAS A REQUEST.
HOW MANY GAR UH, ACCESSORY GARAGES, UH, EXIST ON, I'D SAY LOTS UNDER 10,000 AND OVER 7,500 SQUARE FEET.
THAT'S SO THAT, THAT, UH, I THINK THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT WOULD BE ABLE TO PULL THAT, UM, WITH EASE.
IF NOT, THEN I, IT MIGHT BE, I, WE CAN'T GET YOU THAT NUMBER WITHOUT MM-HMM
DOING SOME MANUAL SCAN, WHICH WON'T BE EFFICIENT FOR I THINK ANYONE.
UM, AND THEN YOU HAD ADDITIONALLY ASKED, UH, WHAT WAS, HOW MANY 5,000 SQUARE FOOT LOTS, UH, EXIST IN R 75 ZONE? NORMALLY? DO I HAVE THAT WRONG? SORRY.
NO, HOW MANY, UM, THE OPPOSITE, HOW MANY 7,500 SQUARE FOOT LOTS EXIST IN THE R FIVE THAT HAVE, BECAUSE IN THAT ZONE GARAGE, THEY MAY GO RIGHT TO THE, UM, THE PROPERTY LINE.
PROPERTY LINE, THE DRIVEWAY SETBACK FOR THE DRIVEWAY.
THAT ACTUALLY I, THAT NUMBER I CAN PULL REAL FAST.
UM, SO JUST MAKE SURE I GOT THAT RIGHT.
I, I'LL CERTAINLY RETURN TO YOU ON, ON BOTH THOSE THINGS.
ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT YOU WANTED TO DISCUSS, UH, WHILE WE'RE HERE ON A DU? NO, I HAVE A QUESTION.
SO WHEN ARE WE GONNA BE ABLE TO PASS THE A DU LAW? IS THIS, ARE WE, IS THIS GONNA, AFTER YOU GIVE US INFORMATION FOR WHAT THE LOT SIZES THAT WAS JUST REQUESTED? WELL, WE'VE GOT A CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING DECEMBER 10TH.
IF THAT HEARING GETS CLOSED AND APPROVE IN 80 LAW, I SUPPOSE THE FIRST MEETING IN JANUARY WOULD BE THE FIRST LOGICAL POINT TO DO SO.
SO THEN, SO IF YOU'RE, THERE'S NO JANUARY 14TH, IF THERE ARE NO CHANGES, WE COULD DO IT ON THE 17TH, DECEMBER 17TH.
THERE'S NO CHANGES IN DECEMBER SEVEN.
WE COULD PUT A RESO UP ON THE 17TH IF THE BOARD LIKED.
SO IF ONCE YOU GATHER THE INFORMATION, YOU SHARE IT WITH US, WHEN WOULD WE THEN REVIEW THAT TOGETHER NEXT WEEK.
BUT THAT'S VERY CLOSE TO THE, THE HEARING'S.
WE'D HAVE TO PUBLISH WHAT OUR PROPOSED LAW.
WHAT DO I MEAN? WELL, WE CAN ALWAYS, IF WE HAD TO THEN HOLD IT, CAN WE HOLD IT OVER? I DON'T KNOW.
DO WE HAVE ANOTHER HOLD WE COULD PUT IN BRACKETS THE ADDITIONAL KICKING US DOWN LANGUAGE, UH, SOLICIT INPUT OR MM-HMM
I, I, I, I, HERE'S MY, MY INTUITION IS WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GET YOU THE NUMBER OF ACCESSORY GARAGES, UM, IN THAT FIVE THOU 7,500 TO 10,000.
I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT LOGS INFORMATION THAT, UM, MICRO LEVEL MM-HMM
UM, I DO THINK I COULD EASILY GET YOU THE NUMBER OF, UH, 7,500 SQUARE FOOT LOTS IN THE R FIVE WITHIN, YOU KNOW, A MINUTE.
UM, SO THAT NUMBER I CAN GET YOU, IS THAT GONNA BE ENOUGH DATA TO INFLUENCE? UM, IT HAS THESE CHANGES IF THERE'S A GARAGE.
THOSE ARE TWO SEPARATE ISSUES THOUGH.
AND YOU SPECIFIC, YOU WANT, YOU WANT THE GARAGE GUYS IN BOTH? THE WHOLE ADDITION IS RELATED TO A GARAGE.
SO THERE'S NO GARAGE? NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE WIDTH OF THE DRIVEWAY THOUGH.
WHAT YOU WANTED, YOU WANTED MORE INFORMATION ABOUT.
OH, I DON'T NEED MORE INFORMATION FOR THAT.
I THINK WE HAD A WOMAN GET UP AND SAID THAT SHE WAS IN FAVOR OF ADU FULL STEAM AHEAD.
AND THEN SHE HEARD WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN HER PARTICULAR SITUATION AND SHE SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? I LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE DOING IT, UH, VERY CAREFULLY AND TAKING IT A STEP BY STEP TO SEE WHAT THE IMPACTS ARE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT I'M LOOKING FOR.
'CAUSE THERE IS NO BETO POWER BY NEIGHBORS.
WHEN SOMEBODY COMES IN TO DO THIS.
THE PLANNING BOARD COULD SAY, OKAY, IT'S IN CHARACTER, NOT IN CHARACTER, WHATEVER.
BUT THE NEIGHBORS DON'T GET A SAY.
SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS TO MAKE THIS PALATABLE TO THE NEIGHBORS BY SAYING WE'RE DOING IT SYSTEMATICALLY, TAKING A LOOK AT THE DATA AND MOVING FORWARD FROM THAT MM-HMM
WHICH IS WHY WE KEEP, THAT'S A QUESTION I DO HAVE.
SO AT WHAT POINT DOES, WHAT, AT WHAT POINT DOES A NEIGHBOR CAN WEIGH IN, UM, OF, OF AN APPROVAL OF AN A
[00:30:01]
DU NEXT TO THEM OR NEAR THEM? LIKE IS THAT AT THE, IS THAT AT THE PLANNING BOARD? IS THAT PLANNING BOARD PUBLIC? YOU HAVE TO YES.PLANNING BOARD, SPECIAL PERMIT PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE A DU.
AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE RECENTLY INSTITUTED A POLICY WHEN AN APPLICATION'S FILED, WE SEND OUT A NOTE TO, UH, SURROUNDING NEIGHBORS JUST TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF THE APPLICATION.
IS IT, IS IT ALSO A REQUIREMENT OF THE APPLICANT TO GET SOME SORT OF BUY-IN FROM THE NEIGHBORS, WHETHER IT BE A SURVEY NO.
OR PETITION OR NO BOARDS? NOPE.
THE BOARD WILL JUST HEAR TESTIMONY FROM RESIDENTS THAT WANNA MAKE TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OR NOT.
JUST LIKE WHEN SOMEONE PUTS AN ADDITION ON THEIR HOME, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T GO AROUND AND ASK ALL THE NEIGHBORS IF THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY, THE ZONING BOARD ASK THEM IF YEAH.
DEPENDING ON THE, IF IT GOES TO THE ZONING BOARD.
THERE ARE ADDITIONS THAT RIGHT.
AND DO NOT NEED TO GO BEFORE LAND USE SPORTS AND THERE'S NO NOTIFICATION FOR THAT.
I DO HAVE A RECOMMEND THEN YOU GOT A BIG SMILE OR I DO HAVE, WELL, NO, BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE BOARD RECENTLY.
AND, AND ACTUALLY I RECENTLY GOT MY THOUGHTS TOGETHER AND I THINK I KNOW WHERE, WHAT I WANT TO RECOMMEND TO THIS BOARD.
UM, KIMBERLY IS NOT A PANELIST.
WE ONLY SEE YOU MADAM COUNCIL WOMAN.
I'M CONFIRMING SHE'S ON, I ALREADY TOOK CARE OF THAT.
AND JUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC, I'M GONNA DO VERY BRIEF RECAP THEN I HAVE A CAMERA ON VERY BRIEF RECAP.
SO, OH, AM I GOOD TO GO OR YOU STILL, OKAY.
TOWN BOARD'S BEEN MAJOR ADVOCATES FOR THE SOLAR PROJECT HERE AT TOWN HALL AND IN CONTRACT WITH LOCAL SOLAR PROVIDER.
AND THE PROJECT WAS GONNA SPAN, UH, NUMEROUS PANELS ON THE ROOFTOP, MOST OF WHICH ARE ON AS WELL AS CARPORTS IN THE PARKING LOT, UH, WITH, WITH, WITH SOLAR CANOPIES AS A RESULT OF, UM, THE SHALLOW BEDROCK THAT IS COMMONPLACE THROUGHOUT THE PARKING LOT.
THAT RESULTED IN, IN, IN EXTRA COST THAT WAS UNFORESEEN.
AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, THE INCENTIVES THAT WERE OUT THERE, THEY'RE CONSTANTLY, UH, SHRINKING.
AND THIS PROJECT, UNFORTUNATELY GOT CAUGHT UP IN THAT.
UH, BUT FORTUNATELY THERE'S STILL SUBSTANTIAL INCENTIVES ON THE ORDER OF, UH, $690,000 THAT ARE GOING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS PROJECT.
THERE IS THE HOPE THAT ACTUALLY UP TO 800,000 WOULD BE, UM, CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROJECT.
BUT AS I MENTIONED, THAT'S NOT ALL COMING TO FRUITION.
SO THE TOWN BOARD IS FACED WITH A QUESTION OF, UM, ABSORBING EXTRA COST TO HAVE THE SOLAR CANOPIES BUILT, WHICH STILL WOULD BE PRUDENT FISCALLY IN THE LONG TERM.
THE LONG TERM, BECAUSE THE, THEY, THESE, THESE PANELS GENERATE POWER, BUT IT'S A COST THAT, UM, YOU DID NOT THINK THAT YOU WOULD BE SPENDING WHEN YOU ENTERED INTO, INTO THIS PROCESS.
SO IN SPEAKING, UH, WITH OTHERS HERE AT TOWN HALL AS WELL AS THE SOLAR PROVIDER, THE INCENTIVES ARE NOT SPECIFIC.
THE INCENTIVES DON'T SAY THEY ONLY KICK IN IF CANOPIES ARE BUILT IN THIS PARKING LOT, THE INCENTIVES SAY THE TOWN OF GREENBURG IS GOING TO BUILD OUT X AMOUNT OF KILOWATTS OF, OF SOLAR PANELS.
AND THOSE SOLAR PANELS, THE REALITY IS THEY CAN BE DEPLOYED ANYWHERE THAT THE TOWN BOARD APPROVES.
SO MY RECOMMENDATION IS FOR THE TOWN BOARD TO STRONGLY CONSIDER, UM, DEPLOYING THE PANELS THAT WOULD HAVE GONE IN THE PARKING LOT ONTO OTHER ROOFTOPS AT FACILITIES IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, THE PANELS ARE WHAT GENERATE THE POWER AND THE REVENUE AND THE, THE SAVINGS FOR THE TOWN AND THE TAXPAYERS.
SO, UM, FIXING THOSE PANELS TO AS EXAMPLE PORTIONS OF THE LIBRARY, T-D-Y-C-C, UM, OR PERHAPS ANTHONY VETERAN, UH, ROOF ROOFTOPS.
UM, YOU WILL GET HIGH EFFICIENCY FOR THOSE BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUILD THE STEEL TRUCTURE AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUILD THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO EXACTLY.
SO YOUR COST IS GONNA BE DRIVEN WAY DOWN.
YOU'RE GONNA GET THAT SAME EFFICIENCY AND, YOU KNOW, FISCAL BUYBACK POWER FROM THE PANELS AND YOU'RE GONNA GET THE INCENTIVES.
AND I THINK ULTIMATELY YOU'LL SPEND LESS THAN YOU ORIGINALLY INTENDED WITH THIS PROJECT.
I THINK IT WAS, UH, IMPORTANT AND AND LAUDABLE FOR THE TOWN BOARD TO, YOU KNOW, SHOWCASE, UH, UH, UH, UH, CANOPIES IN THE PARKING LOT.
THE TIMING JUST MAY NOT BE RIGHT AT THIS TIME FOR THIS PROJECT.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T REVISIT IT IN YEARS IN THE FUTURE IF NEW INCENTIVES ARISE.
BUT HAVING SAID THAT, WHERE WE'RE AT AT PRESENT, I THINK, OH, AND JUST ONE OTHER, THE PANELS ARE ALL SECURED, RIGHT? WE LOCKED INTO THE BEST PRICING WE COULD GET, THE
[00:35:01]
TOWN COULD GET AT THE TIME.SO, YOU KNOW, ALL THE PANELS WERE BOUGHT, SO THEY'RE, THE TOWN OWNS THE PANELS, SO THEY'RE GONNA GET USED AND THEY'RE GONNA DO, UM, MAKE, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN MORE SUSTAINABLE.
SO MY RECOMMENDATION AGAIN IS JUST TO STRONGLY WORK WITH DBW, IDENTIFY ROOFTOPS ELSEWHERE AND DEPLOY EVERY LAST PANEL THAT'S IN THE TOWN'S POSSESSION AND DO SO AT, YOU KNOW, REALLY GOOD COST.
SO YEAH, IF WE PLAY PANELS OUT ELSEWHERE, THEN YOU HAVE TO HAVE INVERTERS AND, WELL, THESE PROBABLY HAVE THEIR OWN MICROINVERTERS, BUT THE, UM, BRINGING IN POWER TO FOR SURE.
SO WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT MY RECOMMENDATION IS IF WITH YOUR SUPPORT, UH, WE'LL HAVE AN UPDATED CONTRACT DRAWN UP.
IF THE TOWN BOARD ORIGINALLY WAS GONNA INTEND TO SPEND $400,000 FOR THIS WHOLE PROJECT, WE'RE GONNA FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, IS THAT NOW, UH, 315 OR 380, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, WE'LL GET YOU THAT UPDATED COST BECAUSE YES, THERE, YOU KNOW, UH, THERE'S MORE TO JUST SLAPPING THEM ON THE ROOF, BUT, UM, THERE'S GONNA BE SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS.
'CAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUN CONDUITS THROUGH THE PARKING LOT.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, BUILD THE FOUNDATION.
SO, UH, I I'M QUITE SURE THAT IT'S GONNA BE, UH, VERY FISCALLY ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THE TOWN WHEREVER, UM, THESE PANELS ARE DEPLOYED.
DEPLOYED, WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE A TAKE SOME SORT OF CONVERSION UNIT, RIGHT? YEP, YEP.
SO THAT WON'T, BUT THAT WON'T MAKE UP ANY, THE DIFFERENTIAL TO ANY GREAT EXTENT.
CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? UM, IN TERMS OF THE PARK AND CANOPIES, ORIGINALLY WHEN, UH, WE HAD MEETINGS, THERE WERE COMPANIES THAT WERE GONNA DO THAT ON A LEASE BASIS THAT WOULDN'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, REQUIRED US TO, UM, UPFRONT ANY MONEY.
IS IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD STILL BE, YOU KNOW, AVAILABLE BECAUSE, UM, WE COULD, YOU KNOW, I LIKE YOUR IDEA OF PUTTING IT ON, ON THE ROOFS, UM, AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE WAY OF MAXIMIZING THE DOLLARS.
BUT IF WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY, UM, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S BA I MEAN, IF IT WAS A LEASE SITUATION, YOU'D STILL HAVE THE BEDROCK ISSUE.
NO, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT RIGHT.
BUT, BUT, BUT THE LEASE IS STILL IN THE CARDS.
SO RECALL THAT THE TOWN BOARD SUPPORTED TWO SEPARATE PROJECTS, ONE FOR TOWN HALL, AND THAT WAS ALWAYS ENVISIONED AS A TOWN PURCHASE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE, NOT A LEASE.
AND UM, YOU KNOW, AS I JUST MENTIONED, WE'RE GONNA DELIVER IT IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FORMAT, BUT STILL GET, YOU KNOW, GREAT BENEFIT FOR THE TOWN.
ANTHONY VETERAN PARK IS STRUCTURED AS A LEASE, SO THAT'S STRAIGHT REVENUE FOR THE TOWN.
THE CONTRACTS RECEIVED FROM THAT DIFFERENT SOLAR DEVELOPER, IT'S IN REVIEW WITH LEGAL AND WE HOPE TO, UH, PUT THAT CONTRACT UP FOR THE TOWN BOARD ONCE LEGALS DEEMED THAT THE CONTRACT IS, UH, SUFFICIENT.
SO, UM, THAT PROJECT STILL IS, UH, IN THE MIX AND, UH, IS STRUCTURED AS A LEASE FOR STRAIGHT REVENUE AND THAT DEVELOPER WILL ABSORB, UM, WHATEVER COST IT TAKES TO BUILD IT.
SO, UM, BASED ON THE DEPTH OF BEDROCK AT ANTHONY VETERANS PARK, UM, THERE'S NOT A CLAUSE IN THE CONTRACT THAT WILL, UH, YOU KNOW, REDUCE THE REVENUE THAT THE TOWN IS GOING TO GET.
IT'S, IT'S, THE COST IS FOR THEM TO BEAR.
SO IS IT ONLY IN THE REAR OF THE PARKING LOT HERE THAT THERE'S THE ROCK? NO, THERE, THERE'S ROCK.
UM, THROUGHOUT, SO THERE'S NO GOOD PLACE TO, TO DO IT.
IS THERE'S, UH, THERE'S NO EASY PLACE TO, THERE'S NO EASY PLACE OR INEXPENSIVE PLACE TO DO IT.
IT REQUIRES INEXPENSIVE AND EASY.
GERALD, WHEN DO YOU THINK, UH, THE CONTRACT WILL BE REVIEWED FOR THE VETERAN PARK? UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT US TO MAKE IT A PRIORITY, WE CAN MOVE IT UP THE LIST, BUT YEAH, IT WOULD BE GREAT, I THINK TO BE ABLE TO PUT THAT CONTRACT UP FOR SAY THE JANUARY 14TH MEETING.
BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAD ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE VETERAN PARK, I, I LIKE IT, BUT I'M BASICALLY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE, UH, PARKING, UH, CANOPIES BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO REACH AFTER WE DO IT, I'D LIKE TO REACH OUT TO, UM, SOME OF THE SHOPPING CENTERS AND MALLS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ON ONE 19 YOU HAVE THE OFFICE BUILDINGS AND SEE IF, UH, WE COULD SAY, LOOK WHAT WE'VE DONE AND USE IT AS MORE OF A DEMONSTRATION.
YOU KNOW, I NEVER LOOKED AT THIS AS, OH, THIS IS THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED THAT WE'RE, LOOK HOW MUCH WE'RE SAVING BECAUSE THE SAVINGS IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THING IS NOT GONNA MAKE OR BREAK THE TOWN ON OTHER HAND, IN TERMS OF SUSTAINABILITY, YOU'VE BEEN CONSISTENT ABOUT THAT.
WHAT, YOU'VE BEEN VERY CONSISTENT ABOUT THAT.
HERE IT WILL BE A PROJECT AT ANTHONY VETERAN THAT THE TOWN BOARD SHOULD BE PROUD TO SHOWCASE.
LARGE SCALE, RIGHT? THIS WAS JUST THREE CANOPIES THAT, THAT DWARFS MM-HMM
IF WE'RE GONNA DO THE ANTHONY VETERAN PARK ONE AND THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS, THEN I'D SAY YOUR SUGGESTION REALLY IS MAKES SENSE.
HERE, BUT REFRESH MY RECOLLECTION, DIDN'T WE HAVE ALL OF THE SOLAR PEOPLE CHECK OUT OUR ROOFS AND THEY DIDN'T FIND MANY THAT WERE SUITABLE AND SOME WOULD NEED SIGNIFICANT UPGRADING AND WOULD PROBABLY COST US A LOT OF MONEY TO GET THEM SO THAT WE HAVE A ROOF THAT CAN LAST 30 YEARS.
[00:40:02]
I THOUGHT THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE EXISTING SOLAR PANELS THAT WE HAVE.I THOUGHT THEY, THEY WERE LIKE THOSE WERE NOT USABLE.
THE DECISION TO FOCUS ON TOWN HALL AND ANTHONY ANTHONY VETERAN, UH, THIS ROOF WAS PRIME AND READY FOR PANELS.
UH, THE LIBRARY, I BELIEVE IS, IS ON PACE TO HAVE THEIR ROOF IMPROVED, UH, NEXT YEAR.
UM, THERE, I, I DO, I DON'T THINK THERE WAS A LARGE SCALE MAGNITUDE ROOF ELSEWHERE RIGHT THERE.
THERE MAY BE SOME, I, IT'S, WE MAY HAVE TO GET CREATIVE AND DO SOME PORTIONS.
OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT GONNA PUT PANELS ON A ROOF THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE THEM IF THEY NEED, YOU KNOW, REPAIR IT HAS TO BE A NEW ROOF.
WELL THAT, THAT WAS THE BIG THING.
THE LIBRARY ROOF WAS IN NEED OF REPAIR AND WHEN WE WERE FIRST CONSIDERING IT, THAT WASN'T GONNA HAPPEN IN THE SHORT TERM.
WITH THE LIBRARY, MORE IMMINENT.
UM, WE'LL SEE IF THAT PORTIONS OF THAT ROOF CAN BE IN THE MIX.
I MEAN, THE ONE THING I WILL SAY IS, UM, WE DO NEED TO DEPLOY THE PANELS BY, UM, BEFORE THE END OF SECOND QUARTER NEXT YEAR.
SO WHILE, UM, GETTING A GOOD RESPONSE HERE THAT WE HAVE WORK TO DO TO FIND AVAILABLE, RIGHT.
ON ROOFS AND TOWN HALL COMMUNITY CENTER WOULD BE ONE.
WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THAT FOR SURE.
I THINK THE REASON WE DIDN'T FOCUS ON SAY T-D-Y-C-C, UH, IN CONNECTION WITH THE, THE RFP PRIOR IS THAT, UM, NOT EVERY PORTION OF THAT ROOF WAS RIPE FOR PANELS.
SO WE ONLY FOCUSED ON AREAS THAT WERE LIKE RIPE AND LARGE SCALE.
DID WE DO TEST BORINGS OUT IN THE PARKING LOT HERE? UM, TEST BORINGS WERE DONE POST, UH, SECURING OF THE CONTRACTOR AND UH, YEAH.
YOU KNOW, YOU LEARN, I, I DON'T KNOW IF OTHER MUNICIPALITIES WOULD DO THEIR OWN BORINGS AND THEN PUT THAT INFORMATION INTO AN RFP.
I MEAN THAT WOULD BE VERY LIKE PROACTIVE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING I WILL THINK ABOUT, UH, IN THE FUTURE.
HOW MUCH DOES IT ADD TO DO, TO GO DOWN AND DRILL OH, UH, ON THE ORDER OF, UH, CLOSE TO 300,000.
AND THEY MAKE SENSE FOR US TO FIX UP OUR ROOF.
WELL YOU HAVE TO USE THE PANELS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FOR A VARIETY REASONS.
ONE OF WHICH IS THE TECHNOLOGY, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS FROM NOW OR A YEAR FROM NOW, IS GONNA BE TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
WE'LL BE PUTTING UP OUT OF DATE TYPE OF PANELS.
IF, IF, IF WE APPROVE, UM, THE CONTRACT FOR ANTHONY VETERAN PARK IN JANUARY, UM, WHEN, WHEN WOULD IT BE ACTUALLY INSTALLED? I THINK THEY WOULD TARGET LIKE THIRD QUARTER 2026.
START BUILD IT OUT OVER SIX MONTHS.
JUST CAN WE DO MORE PANELS THERE, ANTHONY? VETERAN? WELL, WE HAVE TO USE THE PANELS IF WE DON'T USE THE PANELS.
OH, SO THESE PANELS WOULD, WOULD BE DEPLOYED, UH, ROOFTOPS.
IT COULD BE THE MULTIPURPOSE CENTER OR, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING AT ANTHONY VETERAN PARK.
OH, I THINK THOSE ARE BEING LOOKED AT.
THEY DON'T HAVE TREES AROUND, YOU KNOW, SOME YEAH, I FEEL LIKE THOSE ROOFS ARE ARE, AND, AND, AND I DO KNOW THAT, UH, WHEN WE DID THE RFP FOR ANTHONY VETERAN, WE DIDN'T SAY IT SHALL ONLY BE PARKING LOT.
AND THERE WERE SOME VENDORS THAT, UH, THOUGHT IT WAS PRUDENT TO UTILIZE SOME OF THAT ROOF SPACE.
EVEN JUST THINKING A LITTLE OUTSIDE OF THE BOX, WE COULD MAYBE AT THE, THE SENIOR HOUSING OR THAT'S NOT THE TOWN NEW? WELL, THEY MIGHT STILL, WE CAN MAYBE DO A DEAL WITH THEM AND THEY WOULD, WELL UTILIZE THEM SOME TO CLOSE TO USE CENTER.
WE'LL FIND OUT MANY PANELS LEFT OVER.
HOW MANY PANELS? UH, MORE THAN A HUNDRED.
BUT THIS ROOF IS ALMOST DONE AND IT'S, UH, MAXED OUT.
IT WILL BE MAXED OUT WHEN THE PROJECT'S COMPLETE.
REMEMBER WHEN WE FIRST HAD THE SOLAR, WE HAD SOMETHING IN THE LOBBY SAYING HOW MUCH, UH, HOW MUCH WE SAVED.
IT WAS BARELY ENOUGH TO DRIVE THAT TV
ONCE THIS SYSTEM'S DEPLOYED, UH, MULTIPLE TOWN STAFF WILL HAVE AN APPLICATION THAT IDENTIFIES EXACTLY HOW MUCH YOU'RE GEN GENERATING EVERY DAY, MONTHLY, WEEKLY.
[00:45:01]
GONNA SHOWCASE THAT.UH, NEXT, UH, THE CAPITAL BUDGET AND OPERATING BUDGET.
WELL, SO DO WE WANNA GO INTO EXECUTIVE SECTION FOR THAT PORTION THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH SURE.
COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER FAWN.
WHERE DO MAKE MOTION? I'LL SECOND.
I THINK THE MOTION WAS TO DISCUSS, UM, AN ITEM WHICH IS PROPOSED OR PENDING LITIGATION.
OH, YOU'RE GOT ALL IN FAVOR? I NOT MY MOTION.
SO NOW WE'RE GONNA BE DISCUSSING, UH, THE BUDGET AND, UH, THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
IT SAID RECORDING IN PROGRESS.
NOW WE CAN MOVE KIMBERLY AND GINA, CAN YOU HEAR US? YES.
UM, YEAH, I THINK JOY MIGHT HAVE JUST SAID SOMETHING.
I JUST ASKED IF YOU, YOU'RE WITH US.
WHAT? SO WHAT WOULD YOU HANG LIKE ME TO GO? HANG ON, WE'RE JUST CHECKING.
EVERYTHING'S TECHNOLOGICALLY WORKING.
SO, SO BASICALLY I HAD, YOU KNOW, COME, LET'S JUST MAKE SURE THEY CAN HEAR US PROPERLY.
CAN YOU HEAR US PROPERLY? YES.
HOW ABOUT YOU KIMBERLY? YES, I CAN HEAR YOU.
SO I HAD, UH, CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, KIMBERLY, UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SHE, A MOTION HIGHLIGHTED.
DON'T WE NEED A MOTION TO REOPEN THEM? UM, MAKE A MOTION TO REOPEN THE MEETING.
SO BASICALLY EARLIER TODAY, YOU KNOW, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH, UM, THE, THE CONTROLLER.
AND, UM, SHE, UM, UH, INDICATED THAT WE REALLY ARE RELYING TOO MUCH ON FUND BALANCE AND, UM, FOR THE HEALTH, LONG TERM HEALTH OF THE TOWN.
UM, IF WE JUST KEEP SPENDING AND SPENDING AND SPENDING, THE TOWN'S GONNA HAVE FINANCIAL, YOU KNOW, MORE FINANCIAL PROBLEMS. SO THE SUGGESTION WAS MADE TO HAVE LIKE A FIVE YEAR, UH, YOU KNOW, PLAN.
UM, THAT WOULD BASICALLY, UH, REDUCE OUR RELIANCE ON THE USE OF FUND BALANCE, UH, WHICH COULD BE, UM, UH, REDUCTION IN SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, PROGRAMS AND ASPECTS OF THE BUDGET.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AND POSSIBLY AND ALSO A LARGER TAX HIKE THAN WAS ORIGINALLY, YOU KNOW, PROPOSED.
SO, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEAR, I THINK EVERYBODY ON THE TOWN BOARD, WE ALL HAVE THE SAME INTERESTS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE LIKE ALL THE PROGRAMS AND ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE ALL WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE TOWN IS FINANCIALLY IN HEALTHY SHAPE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE LONG TERM.
UM, SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
SO WE WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE, UH, THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WOULD BE FISCALLY PRUDENT AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THE TOWN IS, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT RUN ON GIMMICKS, BUT RUN ON BASICALLY WHAT'S FISCALLY PRUDENT, YOU KNOW, WHICH I THINK EVERYBODY FEELS THE SAME THING.
SO WE'RE STARTING WITH THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
WHATEVER, UH, WHATEVER WE WANT.
SO I JUST SO WE CAN START WITH THE CAPITAL.
UM, THERE WAS A REQUEST MADE THAT I WALK THE BOARD THROUGH THE CAPITAL BUDGET PRESENTATION AND THE FORMAT AND GO THROUGH THE DIFFERENT COLUMNS.
UM, SO WE CAN START WITH THAT, BUT I ALSO WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE DEBT SERVICE FOR THIS CAPITAL BUDGET FOR 2026 WOULDN'T COME DUE UNTIL, UH, JULY OF 27.
SO DOES EVERYBODY HAVE A COPY? YEAH.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE FIRST COLUMN, WHICH IS THE DEPARTMENTAL REQUEST, WELL, FIRST COLUMN IS DESCRIPTION.
SO THAT'S A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT EACH DEPARTMENT HAS REQUESTED.
AND WE CATEGORIZE THEM AS YOU CAN SEE SOMEWHAT TO FOLLOW OUR CHART OF ACCOUNTS.
AND THEN THE NEXT COLUMN IS AN AVERAGE USEFUL LIFE.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT MEANS THAT THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR IS GOING TO TAKE ALL OF THE PROJECTS AND THEY'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH AN AVERAGE USEFUL LIFE ON ALL THE PROJECTS FOR THE BORROWING.
SOME PROJECTS MAY BE LESS, SOME MIGHT BE MORE, BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE AN AVERAGE BECAUSE THE, YOU KNOW, THERE HAS TO BE A TERM APPLIED TO THE BORROWING.
[00:50:01]
SO FOR THEIR, FOR OUR PURPOSES, I PUT 15 BECAUSE MOST OF THEM ARE 15.WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS GONNA BE MORE THAN THAT.
UM, BUT I'M GONNA ASSUME THAT THEY'RE GONNA GO WITH 15 OR 20.
THE NEXT COLUMN IS THE FUNDING SOURCE, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE, WE HAVE 20 FUNDS.
BUT, UH, FOR THIS, FOR THE PURPOSE OF CAPITAL, IT'S PRIMARILY GONNA BE MOSTLY B FOLLOWED BY A AND SOME BY F, WHICH IS THE WATER FUND.
THE NEXT COLUMN IS GONNA BE THE YEAR.
S, NO, F, F AND THERE'S SS F AS IN FRANK.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING ON THERE.
I'M NOT LOOKING AT THE WHOLE SHEET.
THERE'S JUST A, THERE'S JUST TWO.
SO AGAIN, IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON THE FUNDING.
SO, UM, AND WE HAVE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF BORROWING.
SPECIAL DISTRICT IS DIFFERENT, UM, WHICH I THINK SOME OF YOU HAVE SEEN SOME OF THE EMAILS.
SO THEY HAVE DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS UNDER MUNICIPAL SECURITY, UM, THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW.
I KNOW LIKE LAST YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, REC PARKS AND BRICK HAD A MULTI-YEAR PROJECT WHERE THEY WERE REDOING, UH, THE CONCRETE AND THE LINER OF THE POOL, I THINK IT WAS.
SO WE, HE HAD SPREAD THAT OUT OVER A PERIOD OF, I THINK IT WAS PART OF 25, 26.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE, IF, IF ONE OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS WANTED TO REQUEST SOMETHING MULTI-YEAR, WE WOULD PUT IT THERE.
SO THE NEXT COLUMN IS DEPARTMENTAL REQUEST, AND THAT'S THE AMOUNT THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES OR DESCRIPTIONS.
SO THE TOTAL ASK FOR, UM, 2026 WAS 62,751,600.
AND THAT'S WHY I PROPOSE THE AUTHORIZED, UH, ISSUED, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT AFTER.
UM, THEN I MEET AGAIN WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND I SEE IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES THAT WE CAN MAKE.
AND THAT WOULD BE DEPARTMENTAL ADJUSTMENTS.
AND THEN IT WOULD MOVE OVER TO THE SUPERVISOR'S SUBMISSION AND WHAT HE'S SUBMITTING.
SO THERE WAS SOME CUTS AND THE SUPERVISOR ENDED UP SUBMITTING 51 MILLION, UH, 5 41 6.
SO, SO THE NEXT COLUMN, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS SO FAR? SO CUTTING BASICALLY 11 MILLION YOU'RE SAYING? YES.
SO THE NEXT COLUMN WOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, DURING THESE MEETINGS IF, YOU KNOW I WERE TAKING NOTES, WE WOULD, I WOULD MAKE BOARD ADJUSTMENTS AND I WOULD EITHER HAVE ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS FOR THE BOARD.
AND THEN I WOULD MOVE ALL THOSE ITEMS INTO THE BOARD PROPOSED BUDGET COLUMN.
RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN THOSE COLUMNS.
SO THE NUMBER FROM THE, FROM THE TOWN SUPERVISOR SUBMISSIONS NOW GOES INTO THE PROPOSED FUNDING SOURCES, WHICH ARE GOING TO BE BONDING, UH, CASH TO CAPITAL OR USE TO FUND BALANCE OTHER FINANCING SOURCES, UH, AND DONATIONS, GRANTS.
UM, AND SO THEN WE SEPARATE THEM OUT.
SOME OF THEM ARE UNKNOWN, SOME OF THEM WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HOPING TO GET GRANTS FOR, BUT WE'RE NOT SURE.
AND USUALLY I'LL PUT A NOTE ON THE SIDE.
I KNOW THERE WAS SOME GRANTS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET WITH SANITARY SEWER LINING.
AND THEN I JUST PROOF IT OUT TO MAKE SURE IT TIES AT THE BOTTOM THAT ALL OF THE PROPOSED FUNDING SOURCES EQUAL THE SUBMISSION AND THAT'S THE $51 MILLION.
SO YOU SEE OUT OF THAT $51 MILLION WE'RE PROPOSING TO BORROW 25 MILLION OR 25.9 MILLION WITH CASH COME TO CAPITAL OF 12 MILLION.
AND THEN, UH, THE OTHER FUNDING SOURCE IS 6.4.
UM, SOME OF THESE WILL BE, UH, SPECIAL DISTRICT, WHICH WILL IMPOSE TAX ON.
SO IT, IT'S KIND OF, THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING VARIABLES IN THE FUNDING SOURCE THAT I'LL TAKE CARE OF.
BUT FOR THE PURPOSE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SIZE OF THIS, THE SIZE OF THE REQUEST, AND I, I'VE MET WITH LIKE RICH, I'VE MET WITH SOME OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THERE ARE A LOT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS COMING UP THAT CAN'T BE, CAN'T BE SET ASIDE.
I THINK THAT OUR BEST BET IS TO DO AN AUTHORIZE AND NONISSUE AND THAT'S WHERE THE BOARD WOULD TAKE ALL OF THE REQUESTS, MOVE THEM INTO THE BOARD PROPOSED BUDGET, THEY WOULD AUTHORIZE THE BORROWING.
UM, I WOULD GO OUT FOR THE BORROWING, BUT WE WOULDN'T ACTUALLY ISSUE
[00:55:01]
THE MONEY.IT'S ALMOST LIKE GOING TO THE BANK AND SAYING, UM, YOU'RE GETTING A LINE OF CREDIT, LIKE A HOME EQUITY LINE, BUT YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT USING THE MONEY UNLESS, UNTIL YOU START THE PROJECT.
SO WHATEVER PROJECT, WE DON'T START AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
WE HAVEN'T BORROWED THAT MONEY AND IT JUST GOES AWAY.
SO I THINK LIKE THIS SIZE, THAT'S THE BEST THING THAT WOULD, AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO RE, MONEY WOULD HAD TO REIMBURSE, UM, MONIES THAT FOR PROJECTS NOT COMPLETED.
IS THAT RIGHT? BECAUSE WE, WE'D NEVER BORROWED IT.
SO, AND IT WOULD ALSO BE GOOD FOR THE RATING AGENCIES BECAUSE I MEAN, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THAT, WE WOULDN'T BE CARRYING THE DEBT OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE, WE HAVEN'T USED.
WHEN WOULD THE, UH, WHEN WOULD WE GO OUT TO ACTUALLY BOND? YOU KNOW, I MEAN YOU HAVE USUALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU DO IT LIKE ONCE A YEAR AND THERE'S A BOND RATING.
SO, UM, IF WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH WE'RE GONNA BE SPENDING, UH, DO YOU BAR, WILL YOU GO TO THE BOND AGENCIES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND SAY, OKAY, WE ARE AUTHORIZING 25 MILLION OR 20 MILLION OR WHATEVER IT IS, UH, FOR 2026? OR WOULD WE BASICALLY EVERY TIME WE, WE DECIDE THAT WE'RE SPENDING A PROJECT? NO, IT WOULD JUST BE THE ONE TIME.
UM, SO IF YOU GO INTO EMMA, WHICH IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE ALL OF OUR OFFICIAL STATEMENTS ARE POSTED, YOU COULD SEE, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THE STRUCTURE OF THE DEBT.
SO I WOULD PROPOSE AND THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR WOULD PROPOSE THE STRUCTURE OF THE DEBT TO THE RATING AGENCY.
SO THEY WOULD SEE THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR, UM, AN AUTHORIZATION OF $62 MILLION, BUT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE EVERY TIME WE ISSUE, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THAT WE ONLY ISSUED HALF OF THAT 'CAUSE WE'RE ONLY DOING HALF THE PROJECTS, OR WE ONLY ISSUED A QUARTER OF IT BECAUSE WE'VE ONLY STARTED, YOU KNOW, A QUARTER OF THE PROJECTS AND THEN AT THE END OF THE YEAR, SO I DO SOMETHING EVERY YEAR THAT'S CALLED, UM, AN ANNUAL DIS DISCLOSURE.
SO I WOULD DISCLOSE TO THE MUNICIPAL SECURITIES MARKET THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE DIDN'T BAR, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T BORROW THE REST OF THE MONEY THAT WAS AUTHORIZED.
SO THEY WOULD SEE THAT, THEY WOULD SEE OUR UPDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND THEY'LL LOOK AT THAT ONCE A YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STILL FISCALLY SOUND BASED ON, UH, THE ORIGINAL RATING, THE ORIGINAL BORROWING.
BUT THE, THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, WE WERE ORIGINALLY TALKING ABOUT, SAY, $25 MILLION FOR 2026.
THEN I'M SAYING, UM, YOU KNOW, ON THE CHANGES THAT, YOU KNOW, RICH MADE, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, CUTS.
SO IT MIGHT BE ANOTHER SIX, 7 MILLION THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO SPEND.
SO LET'S SAY WE, UH, SET UP, WE'RE AUTHORIZING YOU TO SPEND, UM, IN 2026, NO MORE THAN, UM, $17 MILLION.
YOU KNOW, I'M JUST THROWING OUT A NUMBER.
YOU WOULD AUTHORIZE THE FULL AMOUNT FOR BORROWING.
OF COURSE, YOU WOULD HAVE SOME CONTROL, BECAUSE EVERY TIME I GO TO ISSUE MONEY, I'D PROB, THERE'D PROBABLY HAVE TO HAVE A BOARD RESOLUTION.
SO YOU COULD SAY, NO, YOU CAN'T ISSUE ANYMORE.
OR, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THAT'S THE LIMIT FOR THE YEAR.
OR YOU COULD SAY, OKAY, YOU CAN PROCEED WITH THE NEXT ISSUE.
THE ONLY, THE ONLY THING, UH, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S NOT LIKE, LIKE IT WOULD BE LIKE GIVING ME PERMISSION TO GO TO THE BANK AND DRAW ON THE LINE OF CREDIT EACH TIME.
NO, THE, THE ONLY, YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T DO WITHOUT BOARD APPROVAL, BUT THERE WOULDN'T BE ANOTHER RATING.
THE, WE'RE WE'RE AUTHORIZED, IN OTHER WORDS, TO SPEND, WE'D BE AUTHORIZED, IN OTHER WORDS, TO SPEND JUST TO SPEND, YEAH.
X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS, BUT THAT WE WOULD JUDICIOUSLY MEET OUT MONIES DEPENDING ON SCHEDULES AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE MAY OR MAY NOT SPEND ALL THE MONEY THAT WE'VE BEEN AUTHORIZED TO SPEND, BUT RIGHT.
WE STILL AUTHORIZED THAT LARGE SUM OF MONEY.
LET ME, LET ME SAY IT THIS WAY.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING THIS MEETING NOW BECAUSE THE CONTROLLER, YOU KNOW, IS HIGHLIGHTING THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RELYING TOO MUCH ON, UM, FUND BALANCE AND BASICALLY THE FUND BALANCE.
WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE FUND BALANCE FOREVER.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE KEEP SPENDING MORE THAN WE, WE'LL HAVE FUN BALANCE, BALANCE FOREVER
SO, SO THE QUESTION IS, IF WE GO TO THE BOND RATING AGENCIES AND, AND IF WE GO AND WE, WE SAY TO RESIDENTS, OH, WE'RE AUTHORIZING $55 MILLION WHEN IN THE PAST WE NEVER AUTHORIZED, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, CLOSE TO THAT, DOESN'T THAT SEND THE WRONG MESSAGE THAT WE'RE REALLY NOT TIGHTENING OUR BELT? SO IF WE CAME IN AND WE, AND WE BASICALLY SAID, DO YOU KNOW WHAT? WE REALIZE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE THE, WE, WE REALIZE WE HAVE TO MAKE CUTS AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL GONNA BE FIGHTING REALLY HARD TO, YOU KNOW, TO TIGHTEN UP, UH, TO NOT SPEND AS MUCH.
[01:00:02]
WE'RE NOT GONNA SPEND MORE THAN WHAT WE'VE SPENT IN THE PAST YEARS.YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA SPEND MORE THAN $20 MILLION, RICH, YOU KNOW, YOU TAKE $20 MILLION AND SPEND IT.
YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT YOU THINK IS, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A GOOD SHOT AT ACTUALLY SPENDING IN 2026, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA AUTHORIZE $55 MILLION RIGHT NOW.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT SENDS A MESSAGE THAT WE'RE BASICALLY NOT, I DISAGREE, I THINK I DISAGREE.
I THINK THAT IT'S SHOWING THAT WE'RE FISCALLY PRUDENT BY, BY MEETING IT OUT.
AND WHAT IS ESTEN OSTENSIBLY IN THE BUDGET ARE THINGS THAT ARE NEEDED NEEDED.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ARE GENERALLY FOR NEEDS, WHETHER IT'S SIDEWALK CONSTRUCTION, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SORT OF HERE TO DETERMINE ALSO WHAT OUR REAL NEEDS AS OPPOSED TO EXACTLY.
AND THAT'S WHAT I DO THINK THAT PAUL HAS A POINT.
WE DON'T WANT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S GREAT.
I THINK WHAT KIMBERLY HAS COME UP WITH IS SUCH A MUCH BETTER SYSTEM.
UM, I, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THAT WAS NOT IN THE PAST, BUT, UM, THIS WAY WE ARE NOT HAVING TO GIVE MONEY BACK.
HOWEVER, IT DOESN'T MEAN ALSO LIKE PIE IN THE SKY.
AND, AND IF WE USE IT, WE USE IT.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T, WHICH I THINK IS WHAT PAUL'S POINT IS, WE SHOULD BE, UH, ASKING FOR A MODERATE AMOUNT.
NOT LIKE, BUT THEN THAT DEFEATS THE PURPOSE OF WHAT KIMBERLY IS SUGGESTING.
WE HAVE A BUDGET AMOUNT BASED ON WHAT WE'VE DETERMINED THE FINAL BUDGET IS, AND THAT, SO THAT WE CAN PAY FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE IN THE BUDGET.
IF IN FACT, DUE TO WHATEVER VARIABLE CONDITIONS THERE ARE, WE CAN GET IT ALL DONE.
BUT IF WE CAN'T, THEN WE'RE NOT SPENDING IT.
SO I THINK IT'S, IT'S A MATTER OF HOW IT'S PRESENTED, AND IF WE PRESENT IT IN A CLEAN FASHION, IT'S VERY LOGICAL TO ME.
AND I'M NOT THE GREATEST MIND IN FINANCIAL, UH, DEALINGS.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I, IT, I DON'T PERCEIVE IT AS GIVING A LICENSE TO SPEND MORE MONEY.
I MEAN, I CAN'T DRAW IT DOWN WITHOUT GOING TO THE BOARD EACH TIME.
SO, AND IT GIVES US FINANCIAL CONTROL.
IT GIVES, UH, DPW, UH, ABILITY TO PRIORITIZE WITHOUT THE PRESSURE.
IT, IT LETS US, YOU KNOW, UTILIZE THE FUNDS WE HAVE WITHOUT HAVING TO SEND THEM BACK.
AND IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, IT'S JUST CLEANER.
I SPOKE TO THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR ABOUT IT.
I, I THINK YOUR IDEA IS A GREAT IDEA.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, IT REALLY IS FISCALLY PRUDENT, AND I THINK IT'S TERRIFIC.
THE ONLY THING THAT I SORT OF FEEL THAT I WOULD'VE PREFERRED IS, UM, WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NEVER SPENT, BEEN ABLE TO FINISH EVERY PROJECT IN ONE YEAR.
WE HAVE NEVER DONE, WE HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO MY, I WOULD'VE PREFERRED, UM, UM, COMING UP, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE PROJECTS ARE NEEDED AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALL BASICALLY EXCELLENT PROJECTS.
BUT I WOULD'VE PREFERRED SAYING, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA BREAK THIS UP AND BE REALISTIC AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE THINK WE'RE GONNA DO IN 2026.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IN 2027, AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IN 2028.
BECAUSE THEN THEY, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT SAYING WE'RE NOT DOING THESE PROJECTS.
IT'S JUST THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE COULD SAY, THIS IS ALL WE'RE GONNA BE SPENDING AND WE'RE GONNA TRY KEEPING OUR CAPITAL BUDGETS PRETTY CONSISTENT TO WHAT IT'S ALWAYS BEEN.
NOW, I REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, YEARS AGO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, YOU KNOW, PRAISED BECAUSE EVERY YEAR THE CAPITAL BUDGET WAS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE PAID OFF OUR DEBTS AND THEN WE BORROWED MORE.
AND HAVING A MODEST, UM, UM, BORROWING, I THINK SENDS A, A GOOD MESSAGE TO PEOPLE THAT WE'RE BEING FISCALLY PRUDENT.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST THAT, AND THAT DEFEATS THE PURPOSE AND THE IDEA OF WHAT KIMBERLY IS SUGGESTING.
I'M JUST SAYING, IF SHE'S, WELL, NO, BUT YOU'RE SETTING LOWER, A LOWER THRESHOLD THAT DOES NOT, IS NOT INCLUSIVE OF ALL THE WORK THAT WE HOPE TO CLIENT.
AND, AND THE THING IS, AS I SAID, VARIABLE CONDITIONS, WE DON'T KNOW.
YOU'RE RIGHT, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WORK WE CAN COMPLETE, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT WOULD BE END UP BEING A TOTAL OF 40 MILLION SPENT, OR IT WOULD BE A TOTAL OF 47 MILLION SPENT.
SO HOW DO WE ARBITRARILY SET THAT, THAT THAT KIND OF CONSTRAINT? THEN WE GO OVER.
BUT IF, IF, IF, AS, AS, UM, THE CONTROLLER SAYS
[01:05:01]
WE WE'RE APPROVING EVERY SINGLE EXPENSE ALONG THE WAY, AND THAT IS OPEN FOR DISCUSSION, UM, IF THE, THE GENERAL PUBLIC HAS SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT WHAT IS ON THE AGENDA FOR THAT PARTICULAR WEEK.SO EACH THING IS, IS PULLED OUT AND WE CAN LOOK AT IT AND EXAMINE IT AND SAY, CAN WE DO THIS? NOW MAYBE WE CAN'T.
BUT I REMEMBER, UH, CAN, I'M SORRY.
I HAD MY HAND UP, SO I WOULD LIKE TO JUMP IN NOW IT'S RICH IN THE ROOM.
BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION AND RICH NEEDS TO BE AT THE TABLE.
UH, WHILE WE ARE WAITING FOR COMMISSIONER TO COME TO THE TABLE, AS THE DEPARTMENT HEAD, SHE COME UP CHAIR, UM, AT THE DEPARTMENT HEAD DEPART.
WHEN, UM, WHEN THE SUPERVISOR WAS TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T FINISH PROJECTS.
UM, IT'S NOT, UH, OUT, OUT OF NOT WANTING TO FINISH THEM.
LET'S JUST TAKE FOR EXAMPLE, UM, OUR WHOLE ENTIRE HVAC SYSTEM WENT OUT LAST YEAR.
WE HAD NO IDEA THAT WE HAD TO, UM, WE DIDN'T EXPECT IT.
SO TO SAY THAT WE DON'T FINISH PROJECTS IS NOT REALLY A FAIR STATEMENT.
NOT WHEN WE HAVE EMERGENCIES, SAFETY ISSUES THAT COME UP.
SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT HAVING THAT LARGE AMOUNT GIVES US THE FLEXI.
WE MAY NOT FINISH PROJECTS, BUT IT GIVES US THE FLEXIBILITY IN CASE THERE ARE EMERGENCIES LIKE HAVING TO REPLACE AN HVAC.
DON'T START, WE DON'T START A PROJECT UNTIL WE HAVE AN IDEA THAT WE CAN FINISH IT, AS OPPOSED TO THEM ALL STARTING ON DAY ONE WHEN WE APPROVE THE BUDGET.
UH, UM, MANY OF THE REASONS WHY THAT PROJECTS DON'T GET FINISHED IS REGULATORY AGENCIES DO WHAT REGULATORY AGENCIES DO.
AND IT COULD TAKE A VERY LONG TIME TO GET APPROVALS.
AND YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN GET THE PROJECT STARTED BY THE TIME YOU GET ALL THE DIFFERENT APPROVALS, BUT YOU'VE ALREADY BORROWED THE MONEY AND THIS AVOIDS THAT PROBLEM.
BUT THE PROBLEM I REMEMBER, SO NOW THAT RICH IS AT THE TABLE, CAN I FINISH MY QUESTION? SURE.
SO RICH, YOU AND I HAD A CONVERSATION AND WERE YOU ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROPOSED PROJECTS AND GIVE AN IDEA AND FORECAST WHAT PROJECTS THAT YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN START IN 2026? ABSOLUTELY.
WITH THE CONDITIONS THAT, WHAT THE CONDITIONS THAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT.
COUNCILMAN SHEAN MENTIONED ABOUT THE REGULATORY, UM, UM, AGENCIES THAT HAVE TO PROVIDE APPROVALS.
HAVE YOU FORECAST AND OUTLINE EXACTLY WHAT THE TIMELINE IS GOING TO BE FOR EACH OF THOSE PROJECTS FROM START TO FINISH.
SO, UH, I'LL GIVE YOU, AND YOU ARE, I'M SORRY, MY NAME IS RICHARD KAON.
OH, THAT'S LIKE TOWN ATTORNEY AND PARLIAMENTARIAN
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS YEAR.
THE DRAINAGE MONEY THAT WE ARE ALLOCATED IS, FOR ALL INTENTS PURPOSES GONE.
THE PAVING MONEY THAT WAS ALLOCATED FOR THIS YEAR IS GONE.
THE CURBING MONEY THAT WAS ALLOCATED FOR THIS YEAR IS GONE.
THERE ARE CERTAIN ITEMS ON HERE THAT CERTAINLY WE COULD PUSH OFF.
WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE TOWN CONTROLLER.
UM, I THINK SHE'S GOT EXCELLENT IDEAS ON HOW TO HANDLE THIS, AND SHE CERTAINLY HAS A HANDLE ON THESE THINGS.
SO VEHICLE PURCHASES THAT IS DONE, THAT CALENDAR YEAR DRAINAGE IS DONE, UM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME OF THESE GRANTS.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT OUR PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR FOR PURPOSES OF DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, AND WHAT THE CONTROLLER KIMBERLY IS DOING NOW IS LUMPING THEM INTO ONE POT.
SO YOU COULD USE THEM FOR VARIOUS THINGS, RIGHT.
IN THIS, THEY'RE NOT EARMARKED AS MUCH AND THEN CORRECT.
SO IN THIS DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS YOU HAVE BABBITT COURT, TROUBLESOME BROOK, MANHATTAN BROOK, THE FULTON PARK, AND ALL THESE OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE'VE GOTTA REPAIR.
AM I GONNA TELL YOU THAT WE'RE GONNA, THIS IS THE ONE THAT WE CUT IN HALF.
SO A, A LINE LIKE THAT, IF YOU GO THE CONTROLLER'S ROUTE IS TROUBLESOME BROOK GONNA BE DONE THIS YEAR? MOST LIKELY NOT.
BUT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE FUNDS THERE WHEN WE NEED THEM TO DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO PUSH IT FORWARD.
MANHATTAN BROOK, THE SAME FULTON BROOK OR THE, THE FULTON PARK.
FULTON PARK, THERE'S ALL THESE PROJECTS, ALL THESE STUDIES WE GOT GOING ON THAT ARE NOT GONNA HAPPEN RIGHT AWAY.
BUT WHEN WE NEED FUNDS, WE HAVE TO HAVE 'EM AVAILABLE OR WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD THE DAY-TO-DAY.
[01:10:01]
WHAT I'LL SAY IS VINNY FEDERICI SPECIALS OUT THERE THAT HE'S FIXING ALL THESE LITTLE POCKETS.HE FIXED HALF THE TOWN THIS YEAR.
IF YOU GO INTO COMMUNITIES NOW, MAYFAIR, OTHER AREAS, CURBS ARE DONE, DRAINAGE IS COMPLETED, ROADWAYS ARE PAVED, RIGHT? THIS WEEK WE'RE OUT AT, IN THE ROSHAMBO TOPLIN AREA.
GO INTO THESE AREAS, TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S GOTTEN DONE.
LIKE, AND I'M SORRY, PAUL SIDEWALKS WHERE YOU RUN INTO OBSTACLES LIKE WE DID IN EAST IRVINGTON WHERE THERE WAS PUSHBACK.
WE WERE GONNA USE THAT MONEY THIS YEAR, IT HASN'T BEEN USED.
SO IT'S SITTING THERE, THERE'S NOTHING WE COULD DO ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW.
SO THAT TYPE OF FUNDING, IF WE DIDN'T USE IT, WOULD SIT IN ABEYANCE UNTIL WE WERE READY TO SPEND IT.
I REALLY LIKE THE CONTROLLER'S IDEA.
UM, BUT TO GO BACK TO WHAT COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON WAS TALKING ABOUT, THE, THE PROJECTS THAT WERE CUT THE DOOR AND WINDOW REPLACEMENT.
LET'S START WITH DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT.
THE SUPERVISOR CUT THE $8.7 MILLION IN HALF.
WHAT AREAS WILL YOU NOT BE ABLE TO DO NOW THAT HE HAS CUT IT IN HALF? WELL, NO, WHEN YOU'RE SAYING CUT IN HALF.
IT WAS $8.7 MILLION IS WHAT THE DEPARTMENT, WHICH COMMISSIONER ASKED FOR.
AND YOU CUT IT TO THREE 4,000,350.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT MOST OF THESE CUTS ARE.
COMMISSIONER, SO WOULD YOU CONSIDER THE SEWAGE AND DRAINAGE FAILURE COMPARED TO WHEN I CALLED YOU UP ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND GIBSON AVENUE WAS A RIVER THAT YES.
BUT DID YOU LET, LET HIM FINISH MY QUESTION? YEAH.
SO THE STUFF THAT FRANK AND THE TEAM ARE HANDLING OUT IN THE FIELD, VINNY FEDERICI, WE ARE CONSTANTLY DOING THAT.
WHERE THIS WOULD HURT, MOST LIKELY ARE THE STUDIES, RIGHT? WHERE WE HAVE ALL THESE STUDIES ONGOING AND WE'RE RELYING ON OUTSIDE ENGINEERS, SURVEYORS TO DO THEIR WORK, BRING IT TO US, LIKE WE'RE JUST GETTING READY, WE'RE WRAPPING UP SOME OF THE SURVEYING FOR TWO OF THE MAJOR STUDIES.
THOSE ARE, THEY WOULD GET HURT THE DAY TO DAY WE HAVE TO DO, AND WHICH MEANS WHAT THEY WOULD GET HURT AND THEN WHAT WOULD BE THE REPERCUSSIONS THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET DONE.
SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU, FOR INSTANCE, JULY 14TH OF THIS YEAR, WE HAD SEVEN AND A HALF INCHES OF RAIN IN A FEW HOURS.
THERE'S AREAS OF TOWN THAT GOT DESTROYED.
OUR THE, WE HAVE TO NOW PIVOT, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO SEE, WE HAVE TO ASSESS.
WE HAVE 50 FAMILIES IN HERE THAT GOT BLOWN OUTTA THEIR HOUSES.
WE NOW HAVE TO DIVERT OUR ATTENTION TO THAT.
WE CAN'T WORRY ABOUT, I ALWAYS SAY, WELL, LIKE CON ED IN SOME RESPECTS, NOT TO COMPARE US TO CON ED, BUT IF WE GOT, YOU DON'T WANNA DO THAT.
A HOMEOWNER HERE WITH THE PROBLEM MM-HMM
BUT WE GOT 40 OR 50 PEOPLE OVER HERE WITH THE PROBLEM.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE CARE OF THAT TOO.
BUT IF WE'RE GETTING THAT KIND OF, SO WE HAVE TO CONSTANTLY PIVOT.
AS COUNCIL SHEEN SAID, THERE'S REGULATORY AGENCIES THAT ARE INVOLVED.
IT, YOU DON'T KNOW DAY TO DAY WHERE YOU'RE GONNA GET HIT.
I, LET ME ASK A QUESTION, BECAUSE I THINK YOU'VE DONE LIKE A REALLY GOOD JOB IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING DRAINAGE, YOU KNOW, IMPROVEMENTS AROUND THE TOWN.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE DONE AN AWFUL LOT.
BUT YOU KNOW, FROM MY EXPERIENCES, EVERY TIME THERE'S A STUDY, YOU KNOW, 90, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE TIME IT GATHERS DUST.
AND, UH, AND YOU KNOW, I'M SORT OF WONDERING IF WE'RE SPENDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON STUDY.
CAN YOU GIVE EXAMPLES OF THAT? WHEN I WAS A COUNTY LAWYER, THEY NO, NO, NO, NO.
WHAT, 'CAUSE WE HAVE A COMMISSIONER.
WELL, WE, WE WERE TALKING, YOU KNOW, SAY TROUBLESOME BROOK.
WE WERE TALKING, WE, I THINK THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN WE HAD, WE HIRED WOODEN AND CURRENT TO STUDY, UH, TROUBLESOME BROOK.
AND YOU KNOW, THAT WAS LIKE, WHAT IS IT, FIVE YEARS AGO? IT'S ONGOING.
RIGHT? AND YOU KNOW WHAT, WE, WE, IT'S BEEN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY AND I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY BENEFIT FROM IT.
AND YOU DID YOUR OWN WORK WITHOUT THE STUDY AND PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT THERE'S BEEN IMPROVEMENT.
SO, UH, TO ME, IF WE DIDN'T DO THE STUDIES AND WE GAVE YOU THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT MONEY TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT THINGS BETWEEN FRANK AND YOU, I HAVE A, A FAILING THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO GET MORE BANG FOR, FOR THE DOLLARS.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT A LOT OF THESE STUDIES WILL GATHER DUST AND PEOPLE DON'T READ IT.
YOU KNOW? BUT AREN'T THERE REGULATORY RULES ABOUT HAVING THE STUDY BEFORE
[01:15:01]
YOU DO THE WORK? WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF DRAINAGE ISSUES AROUND THE TOWN.YOU, AGAIN, WITH THESE KIND OF STUDIES.
WE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
WE DON'T WANNA DO ANYTHING AND PUT IT ON A SHELF.
WE WANT TO SEE, UH, RESULTS OF RESULTS IMPROVEMENTS WITH TROUBLESOME BROOK, OUR TOWN ENGINEER, JASON CAPAL WAS ADAMANT ABOUT ONE PIPE GETTING CLEANED.
IT WAS NOT OUR PIPE, IT WAS A PRIVATE RESIDENCE PIPE.
HE PUSHED, HE PUSHED, WE ENDED UP NOTICE A VIOLATION.
WE WERE HEADED TOWARDS, THEY CLEANED THE PIPE DURING A, A, I DON'T WANNA SAY REGULAR STORM 'CAUSE NO STORMS ARE REGULAR ANYMORE.
BUT DURING A LESS INTENSE STORM, THE HOUSES AREN'T FLOODING.
'CAUSE THE ROAD IS VACATING THE WATER DURING, UH, YOU KNOW, A JULY 14TH STORM.
THAT'S THE WAY NATURE HAS CREATED IT.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO WITH THESE STUDIES AND THESE MASSIVE SURVEYS THAT GOT DONE IS SEE WHAT IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE DONE OUTSIDE OF THAT AREA TO RETAIN WATER, TO KEEP IT FROM GETTING THERE QUICKER.
CERTAINLY WE DON'T WANNA SEND, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY SAYS BIGGER PIPE, BIGGER PIPE, BIGGER PIPE.
WHEN WE GOT THE GRANTS FROM WESTCHESTER COUNTY, YONKERS WAS THERE.
THEY SAID, WE HAVE THE TROUBLESOME TOO.
WE DON'T WANT YOU SENDING YOUR WATER TO US QUICKER.
THAT'S WHY YOU HIRE PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE, ENGINEERS, SURVEYORS THAT DO THIS TYPE OF WORK.
BUT THERE ARE AGENCIES OR ALL THESE THINGS THAT GET INVOLVED.
THAT'S WHY KIMBERLY'S PLAN MM-HMM
OF BASICALLY GOING TO THE BANK WHEN YOU NEED IT.
AND AGAIN, I USE THE SIDEWALKS.
EAST IRVINGTON, WE GOT A BUCKET OF MONEY SITTING THERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN WE'RE GONNA DO THAT.
THERE'S A FEW RESIDENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REQUIRED TO GO ONTO THEIR PROPERTY TO DO WORK.
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THEY'RE GONNA GIVE US THAT, THAT PERMISSION.
UH, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, NORTH WASHINGTON, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
THEY'VE GIVEN US THE APPROVAL.
SO THAT'S A PROJECT THAT'LL GET DONE.
SO I REALLY AM IN FAVOR OF KIMBERLY'S SUGGESTION.
I THINK IT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA.
AGAIN, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT DON'T GET DONE, THERE'S A LOT, WE, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY FIXING THINGS THIS YEAR.
I ASK YOU, HAVE YOU HEARD ANY COMPLAINTS? 'CAUSE THE THINGS WEREN'T DONE WHEN IN A TIMELY FASHION, YOU'RE THEN FIXING, IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
NOT 'CAUSE THEY WERE IT WITH, CAN I SHARE A SCREEN MM-HMM
WITH OUR AGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE'VE GOTTA REALLY STEP UP OUR GAME.
WELL THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING, THAT, THAT IF WE LEAVE THINGS TO GET WORSE BY NOT TRYING TO TACKLE THE FIXES NOW, THEN IT ONLY INCREASES A EXPAND THAT OUT THE PROBLEM AND BE THE EXPENSE.
AND THE OTHER THING I JUST WANT TO POINT AN ANALOGY TO, AND I, AND I DON'T MEAN TO TO DIMINISH IN ANY WAY WHAT JASON DID OR ANYONE ELSE DID, BUT STILL THOSE FIXES ARE LIKE, THE ANALOGY IS A LITTLE BOY PUTTING THE FINGER IN THE D**E.
KIMBERLY, COULD YOU DO THAT PAGE WITH, YEAH.
SO, SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, I, I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT ONCE THE STUDY IS DONE, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT.
WELL THEN JUST GO IN THE LOWER.
'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T DONE IT IN THIS PLUS, PLUS PLUS.
HOW'S THAT? BETTER, MORE? NO, NO MORE.
IF YOU COULD KIND OF MOVE IT OVER SO WE GET YEAH.
I MEAN, THIS IS A SHORT TERM BORROWING, SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
IT HAS PAY DOWNS ON IT AND SOME NOTES THAT ARE MATURING.
BUT THIS IS BASICALLY WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IN THE OFFICIAL STATEMENT.
SO THERE WOULD BE A COMPLETED BORROWING AMOUNT.
SO THIS IS ONE I DID ACTUALLY.
SO IT'S 27, UH, MILLION DOLLARS.
AND THEN, UH, FOR THIS BORROWING, LEMME SEE HOW WE CAN GET, I THINK WE GET IT.
WELL, I WAS TRYING TO SHOW YOU WHAT WAS LEFT ON THE BORROWING, BUT I CAN'T GET IT TO, IT'S NEXT.
SO AT THE END OF THE ISSUE THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, THIS BOND WAS FOR 4,000,720 AND AT THE END THERE WAS 1 MILLION THAT'S GONNA ROLL OFF.
THAT WAS THE AUTHORIZED, BUT UNISSUED MM-HMM
UM, AND THEN THAT JUST GOES AWAY, BUT MM-HMM
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
[01:20:01]
MM-HMMBUT I THINK THE POINT IS, WELL, IF A STUDY IS DONE AND THEN WE HAVE THE RESULTS AND WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY, MONEY THAT'S BEEN ISSUED TO USE, THEN THE STUDY DOES SIT ON THE, ON THE SHELF AND WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
THE OTHER ISSUE THAT, YOU KNOW, I HAD, BECAUSE I REMEMBER, UH, THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN WHO PASSED AWAY AT, AT 103, UH, RICHARD BOBBY.
AND, UM, HE WAS A MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT FOR LIKE, SOME OF THE TOP, UM, FIRMS IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND HE, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS DISCUSSED CAPITAL BUDGETS AND BUDGETING.
AND THE BIG PROBLEM THAT HE, THE BIG CRITIQUE THAT HE HAD, YOU KNOW, HE MUST HAVE SPOKEN TO ME A MILLION TIMES, UM, WAS THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE, UM, WORK PLANS.
AND SO THE PROBLEM IS, KIMBERLY, YOU KNOW, MENTIONED THAT THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, CAPITAL BUDGETS THAT WE'VE APPROPRIATIONS THAT WE'VE APPROVED THAT WE NEVER SPENT.
YOU KNOW, AND I THINK KIMBERLY, YOU SAID YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GIVE BACK $8 MILLION, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T SPENT IT TIMELY MANNER.
SO I SORT OF FEEL THAT WHEN WE DO, WHEN WE APPROVE A CAPITAL BUDGET, THERE SHOULD BE A WORK PLAN FOR EACH OF THE PROJECTS.
SO IF YOU, SO WE COULD SAY DRAINAGE, UM, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA GO OUT, WE'RE APPROVING IT JANUARY 1ST, WE'RE GONNA GO OUT TO BID, UM, APRIL 1ST.
THE WORK IS GONNA START IN AUGUST AND I'LL BE DONE BY DECEMBER.
AGAIN, THE REGULATORY ISSUES CAN CON NO, BUT I COULD SAY, BUT IF, IF I COULD, AND I DON'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF, BUT IF YOU FOLLOW, I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT WHAT THE CONTROLLER IS PROPOSING ADDRESSES THAT.
SO IF WE ASK FOR X, LIKE I'LL USE AGAIN, EAST IRVINGTON, WE ASK FOR $4 MILLION, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S, IT'S HELD.
SHE'S NOT GOING TO BORROW THE MONEY.
SO WE'RE NOT, IT'S NOT SITTING SOMEWHERE.
SO WE COULD HAVE A, A WORK PLAN BEFORE ANYTHING IS ACTUALLY WE, THE MONEY IS ACTUALLY SPENT.
I KEEP HEARING WE DON'T HAVE WORK PLANS, BUT THAT'S JUST NOT THE CASE.
COUNCILMAN GINA JACKSON HAS BEEN PUSHING US TO GET CERTAIN THINGS IN PLACE.
FOR INSTANCE, TWO YEARS AGO WE HAD AN ENGINEERING FIRM, OLA, COME INTO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR BUILDINGS.
THEY LOOKED AT EVERY PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
WE GOT THE LIST, WHERE'S THE FIRST, RIGHT.
AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING DOWN THAT LIST WITH SOME OF THE FUNDING.
WE'VE GOTTEN PAVING, RIGHT? MANY YEARS AGO, WE GOT A PAVING STUDY.
IT SAID, SPEND $5 MILLION A YEAR TO GET WHERE YOU NEED TO BE IN X.
WELL, GUESS WHAT? WE DIDN'T DO IT.
SO WHAT HAPPENED IF YOU DON'T PAVE A ROAD AND THE WATER GETS IN DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR, FREEZES, IT BLOWS THE ROAD UP.
AND SOON YOU'RE GONNA GET A REPORT FROM OUR ENGINEER THAT DID THE LATEST STUDY.
80% OF OUR ROADS ARE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION.
AFTER WE'RE DONE THIS NEXT WEEK, THAT NUMBER'S GONNA BE UP.
THIS MONEY THAT WE PUT IN HERE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE REINSTATED IS GONNA TAKE US TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
OUR TOWN ENGINEER JASON OLA, ALONG WITH THIS OUTSIDE CONSULTING ENGINEER, HAVE DIFFERENT PRACTICES THEY'RE GONNA PUT IN PLACE.
SO IT'S NOT JUST PAVING THE SUPERVISOR.
SO WHAT COULD YOU QUANTIFY WHAT THAT MEANS? WHICH ROADS WON'T BE DONE? I REMEMBER THE STUDY FROM WAY BACK WHEN.
AND PUTTING IN SOME MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF A ROAD THAT MAY BE HAVING ALLIGATOR, YOU KNOW.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO REDO THE ROAD FOR ANOTHER FIVE, 10 YEARS.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO IT THE NEXT YEAR OR THE YEAR AFTER.
THAT'S THE KIND OF STUDY I ASSUME YOU WERE.
WELL, IF YOU DON'T, IF IF YOU DO SOME OF THESE OTHER PRACTICES THAT THEY'RE SPELLING OUT, YOU'RE PUTTING A COVER ON IT, YOU'RE SEALING IT SO THAT YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO MILL AND PAVE.
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU MEAN BY ROAD RESURFACING AND PRESERVATION.
THE PRESERVATION MEANS YOU DO SOME COATING SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO RESURFACING.
AND, AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT THESE CUTS ARE ARBITRARY.
THEY'RE JUST, ALL OF THEM ARE CUT IN HALF JUST TO, SO, WELL, THAT'S NOT BASED ON ANYTHING THERE.
I, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT THE SUPERVISOR IS ASKING YOU TO JUSTIFY THE EXPENSES, AND YET HE, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE JUSTIFICATION IS FOR JUST ARBITRARILY, IT SEEMS MAKING 50% CUT ACROSS THE BOARDS ON THESE, UH, 10, 8, 10 ITEMS. SO THAT'S, SO, SO, UH, SUPERVISOR, DID YOU MAKE THE CUTS BEFORE YOU WERE AWARE OF KIMBERLY'S NEW PLAN? YOU KNOW, THE CUTS WERE MADE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY IN A PERFECT WORLD WOULD WANT TO SPEND EVERY PENNY THAT WE COULD.
[01:25:01]
THE QUESTION IS WHAT COULD WE AFFORD? AND UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GO INTO THE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, YOU KNOW, KIMBERLY IS, UM, YOU KNOW, IS HIGHLIGHTING THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RELYING A LOT ON, UH, ON FUND BALANCE.SO THE THING IS, WE COULD, IF WE SPENT EVERYTHING WOULD BE RELYING MORE ON FUND BALANCE.
SO, SO THE QUESTION IS, UM, WE WANNA KEEP THE TAXES AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE WANT TO HAVE, UH, THE SERVICES AND I, I'M ON LIKE EVERY STREET IN THE TOWN.
I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M MONITORING, UM, EVERY, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, EVERY EXPENDITURE AND, YOU KNOW, I APPROPRIATE WHAT I THINK, UH, WE COULD AFFORD AND WHAT I THINK THE PUBLIC, UM, YOU KNOW, COULD, YOU KNOW, COULD AFFORD.
AND AGAIN, IF IT WAS UP TO ME, I WOULD WANT TO GET EVERY, YOU KNOW, I WOULD WANT TO GIVE THE COMMISSIONER EVERYTHING THAT HE ASKED FOR.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY, BUT, ALRIGHT.
BUT BASED ON THE, I GUESS I'M STILL CLEAR, I GUESS I'M STILL NO, I'M SAYING I, I, I SUPPORT, I I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH KIM A SUGGESTION.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT SINCE WE'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION YEAH, THAT'S FINE.
AND UNDERSTAND THIS PLAN, YOU'RE WILLING TO REINSTATE EVERYTHING.
WELL, IS THAT IT? IT'S, IT'S NOT WHAT I WANT.
IT'S THE BOARD AS THE, THE, THE BUDGET IS APPROVED BY EVERYBODY IN THE BOARD.
AND WE HAVE TO, AS A GROUP, DECIDE WHAT'S IN THE LONG TERM INTEREST FOR THE TOWN.
UH, FUTURE FINANCIAL HEALTH, WHAT COULD WE AFFORD? WHAT COULD THE TAXPAYERS, UM, AFFORD PAYING FOR? AND UM, AGAIN, UM, IF KIMBERLY AND RICH, YOU KNOW, IF THEY FEEL THERE'S OTHER WAYS OF DOING IT, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S FINE.
AS I JUST DON'T THINK WE HAVE, WE COULD SPEND $55 MILLION IN ONE YEAR.
BECAUSE I THINK IT'S GONNA, LIKE EVEN IT IS THAT WE WON'T, WE WON'T.
NO, BUT I'M JUST SAYING WE KNOW THAT.
BUT AT LEAST WE HAVE FLEXIBILITY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I, I'M SORRY.
NO, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
THAT'S WHAT WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE PLANNING PROCESS.
SO I, THE FRUSTRATION PART IS WE GET TO THIS POINT WITHOUT HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS, THE CONVERSATIONS WITH STAFF TO SAY WHAT CAN AND CAN WE NOT DO? AND THEN WHAT CAN WE PLAN TO DO GOING FORWARD AND LOOKING AT A THREE TO FIVE YEAR PLAN.
SO WHEN WE UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT MONIES THAT WE DO NEED, SO WE, SO TAXPAYERS UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE, THAT'S WHAT WE KEEP ASKING FOR.
AND SO TO ARBITRARILY JUST CUT 50%, I MEAN, THAT'S, WITHOUT HAVING THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER AND THE COMPTROLLER TOGETHER, IT'S SOLELY IN THE ROOM TO SAY, OKAY, LET'S LOOK AT THE PROJECTS.
LET'S LOOK IN WHAT WOULD, WHAT'S REQUIRED FISCALLY OF, OR, OR HOW MUCH WE HAVE TO PAY.
SO LET'S FIGURE THAT PIECE OUT AND THEN WE CAN MAKE THE, UM, THEN WE CAN MAKE THE APPROPRIATE CUTS.
YOU KNOW, SO THAT, THAT IS, I THINK WHAT COUNCIL WAS LOOKING FOR FROM YOU PAUL, TO SEE DID YOU HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS? HAVE YOU HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS BEFORE? JUST COMING DOWN TO THAT 50% NUMBER.
BUT THAT QUESTION'S ALREADY BEEN ASKED AND ANSWERED.
SO WE DON'T NEED TO GO DOWN THAT ROUTE.
SO I GUESS WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, RICH, UH, COMMISSIONER AS WE DISCUSSED EARLIER YEP.
WHAT OTHER PROJECTS, WHAT IS THE PLAN LOOKING AT THAT FOR LOOKING AT THAT, THOSE, THOSE UPCOMING YEARS, FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, AND WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE FOR THAT FUNDING.
WHAT ARE THOSE PARTIES THAT WE CAN DO? I ALSO WANT TO, I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, WE ALSO NEED THE FUNDING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTRIBUTE TO ALL THE WORK THAT WAS DONE THAT, THAT, UH, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FRANK MOTO DID WITH ALL OF THE MANHATTAN, BROOKS, THE FULTON PARKS AND ALL OF THAT WORK WE DID THE STORM DRAINAGE THAT WE WERE DOING AND MAKING SURE WE'RE COVERING THAT.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, HE WENT OUT AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE WENT SOME RENTALS AND WE WAS IN THERE, YOU KNOW, PAYING A LOT OF MONEY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CLEANED UP THOSE AREAS.
AND WE, AND THAT'S AN ONGOING MAINTENANCE NOW.
WE CANNOT, YOU KNOW, NOT LET THAT LAPSE LIKE IT DID BEFORE.
ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT FULTON PARK AND ALL OF THE WORK THAT WAS DONE IN THAT AREA.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S, THAT'S INCLUDED AS WELL.
AND THAT THAT WORK IS INCLUDED IN THE DRAINAGE WORK.
THAT NUMBER AND WHAT THE, THE LAST PART WE TALKED ABOUT THE HVAC, WE TALKED ABOUT THE ROADWAY.
WE ARE IN DRAFT FORM GINA, AS YOU'VE BEEN PUSHING THE WATER AND SEWER STUDY.
SO WE HAVE A PROJECTION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
WHAT, HOW MUCH IT'S ALMOST DONE, BUT IT WILL BE DONE.
AND WHAT THAT GIVES US IS THE BLUEPRINT THAT GINA HAS BEEN PUSHING FOR.
I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER.
DOES THAT ALSO INCLUDE THE ONGOING MAINTENANCE EXPRESSLY ALL THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE THESE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS SINCE JANUARY WITHOUT
THE, THE DRAINAGE BUDGET THAT IS HERE A, ALLOWS THE RENTAL OF CERTAIN EQUIPMENT THAT I THINK EVERYBODY'S SEEN OUT IN THE FIELD DOING THIS TREMENDOUS WORK TO HOPEFULLY
[01:30:02]
'CAUSE THAT STORM'S COMING.UH, PREVENT THE KIND OF DAMAGES WE'VE SEEN OUT THERE, YOU GUYS HAVE WITNESSED WITH THE RESIDENTS COMING INTO YOUR, YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
GETTING COMPLETELY BLOWN UP DURING SOME OF THESE STORMS. WE'RE DOING OUR BEST.
SOME STORMS, THERE'S JUST NO WAY YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO FIX EVERYTHING RAIN IN A FEW HOURS.
BUT WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE, THE MAINTENANCE IS THERE.
AND YOU COULD FRANK'S WORK ATTEST TO THAT.
UM, GOING DOWN THIS LIST, THERE ARE CERTAIN ITEMS THAT I DID, AND I JUST WANT TO QUICKLY GO THROUGH THE REST IF WE COULD.
SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT DRAINAGE, THE IMPORTANCE.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ROADWAY AND THE IMPORTANCE CURBS, THE IMPORTANCE THERE IS THE, IN HERE, WHAT IS A CAMERA VAN? RIGHT? AND THAT MIGHT SEEM MINOR WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, BUT WHAT THAT ENABLES US TO DO NOW IS GO INTO EACH ONE OF THESE PIPES, SEWER, STORM SEWER, AND EVALUATE WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW.
NOT THE WAY WE COULD IF WE HAD THIS PREVENTING SOME OF THESE, THESE OTHER BREAKS THAT WE'VE HAD THAT HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC.
UM, THE OTHER ITEM THAT I THINK WE'RE ALL SENSITIVE TO IS THE, IN OTHER WORDS, THE CAMERA VAN CONTAINS A CAMERA LONG, PROBABLY FIBER OPTIC CABLE TO IT.
YOU SEND IT DOWN BEFORE ANY PIPE BREAKS.
AND, AND SEE WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE CRACKS.
YOU KNOW, ARE THEY BIG? WHERE ARE THEY? SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DIG UP AN ENTIRE STREET.
YOU'LL BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT THE DISTANCE THAT YOU HAVE TO PUT THE PIPE DOWN IN.
UH, THINGS THAT'LL BE REALLY HELPFUL SO THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT WITHOUT WATER FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
WATER, SEWER, SEWER, DRAINAGE.
WE'VE, WE'VE GOT THESE CORRUGATED METAL PIPES MM-HMM
THAT WERE INSTALLED SOME YEARS AGO.
AND UNFORTUNATELY DUE TO THE SALT WE PUT ON THE ROADS FOR, UH, WINTER MAINTENANCE ARE ERODING THESE PIPES.
AND WHAT WE DON'T WANNA DO IS PAVE TO A ROW WORK AND THEN TWO YEARS LATER GO BACK AND DIG IT UP FOR A DRAIN PIPE.
WE HAVE CUT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
WHY WAS THAT CUT? WHY WAS THAT CUT? WHY WAS THAT CUT? I AM SORRY, PAUL, WHY WAS THAT CUT? BECAUSE YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT THE BUDGET AND, YOU KNOW, I, I CUT WHAT I THOUGHT, UH, UM, WASN'T AS MUCH OF A PRIORITY AS OTHER ITEMS THAT I LEFT IN THE BUDGET.
YOU, EVERYTHING, AS I SAID, SAID YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT, THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT CAMERA DOES.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT CRITICIZING, PLEASE DON'T GO DOWN THE LINE ABOUT BEING A CRITICIZED.
NO, IT'S, I JUST, DID YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT CAMERA DOES? I UNDERSTAND.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, SO IS THERE, IF WE DIDN'T HAVE IT AND UM, YOU KNOW, AND IT COULD HAVE BEEN DEFERRED, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS I'D LIKE TO PUT IN THE BUDGET THAT WE, THAT ARE NOT IN THE BUDGET.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, EVERYTHING'S, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING AS A WHOLE AND PRIORITIZE IT.
IT WOULD SEEM THAT AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO CATCH UP TO OURSELVES.
IF WE KEEP DEFERRING THINGS, WE ONLY KEEP PERPETUATING PROBLEMS. ALRIGHT.
BUT JUST, AND, AND YOU ASKED ABOUT SCHEDULING.
I THINK THAT, THAT, THE COMMISSIONER GAVE A GREAT EXAMPLE VIS-A-VIS ROAD PAVING AND, AND HAVING LAID OUT THAT PRIORITIZATION AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE 80% OF THE ROADS IN GREAT SHAPE AND MORE, UM, ON THE WAY IN SHORT TERM IS, IS PROOF POSITIVE IN AND OF ITSELF.
WELL AGAIN, BUT THERE'S ALSO EQUIPMENT.
IT'S ALSO WITH THAT, WITH THAT, UM, COUNCILMAN HENDRICKS, YOU ALSO HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THERE'S ALSO EQUIPMENT THAT IS ALSO NEEDED.
SO AS WE GO AND WE FIND THESE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE ALSO ABLE TO GO DOWN THERE, UM, MORE COST EFFECTIVE THAN TEARING STREETS UP AND DOING THAT.
AND WHICH IS, THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF EQUIPMENTS THAT WE NEED.
SO I, I JUST AM ASKING THE QUESTION, DO WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ITEMS LIKE THAT CAMERA VAN, DO YOU UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT THAT CAMERA DOES TO PREVENT AND HOW AND THE SAVINGS IT'S GOING TO IS GOING TO HAVE HAVING THAT CAMERA IN PLACE? I JUST, DO WE HAVE, DO WE UN I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE CUTTING.
WE DO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE MAKE THE, WHEN WE MAKE THE, WHEN WE MAKE THE DRASTIC CUTS OF THE 50% OF THE, OF THE A HUNDRED PERCENT, ESPECIALLY THE CAMERA.
'CAUSE I HAVE A UTILITIES BACKGROUND, SO I KNOW WHAT WE DO WHEN WE SURVEY STUFF, HOW WE GIS STUFF AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO FIGURE OUT AND PINPOINT DIFFERENT LEAKS AND STUFF.
SO DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? DO YOU UNDERSTAND? I DO UNDERSTAND IT, BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, OKAY.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, AND I JUST WANNA SAY ONE OTHER THING.
YOU KNOW, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF CAPITAL, YOU KNOW, PROJECTS THAT WE WANT TO, THAT DESERVE FUNDING, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO DO THE, UH, MAKE MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS WITH THE POLICE AND THE COURTHOUSE.
AND THAT'S NOT EVEN, AND THE MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE TO BE MADE, IT'S NOT EVEN IN A CAPITAL BUDGET BECAUSE WE, WE HAVEN'T EVEN MADE, YOU KNOW, MADE DECISIONS.
SO IF WE ARE GONNA BASICALLY SAY YES
[01:35:01]
TO EVERYTHING, WE'RE NEVER GONNA BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO, UH, TO ADDRESS THE POLICE AND COURTHOUSE ISSUES BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE A REALLY BIG TICKET ITEM.SO SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, I'M SAYING TO MYSELF, COULD SOMETHING BE DEFERRED FOR A YEAR OR SOMETHING COULD BE DEFERRED FOR, UH, FOR TWO YEARS? YOU KNOW, EVEN WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, WHEN WE STARTED FUNDING THE DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS A COUPLE YEARS AGO, I THINK WE SAID, OH, WE WERE GONNA SPEND 2 MILLION A YEAR, YOU KNOW, JUST ON DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, UH, SO THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW, THE REQUEST WAS, UM, 8.7 MILLION.
NOW, ORIGINALLY, AND, YOU KNOW, WE CUT, I CUT IT IN HALF TO 4.3, BUT WHEN WE, BEFORE WE STARTED THIS, THIS PROBABLY THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO, WE'VE HAD THE DRAINAGE PROJECTS.
IT WAS ONLY GONNA BE 2 MILLION A YEAR.
AND WE SAID WE'LL DO A LITTLE BIT EVERY YEAR, AND EVENTUALLY WE'LL HAVE AN IMPACT.
SO WE'RE DOING MUCH MORE WITH, UH, ROAD WE'RE PAVING THIS YEAR WE SPENT, I THINK $7.8 MILLION ON ROADS.
AND EVERY TIME I'M BICYCLING ON PRACTICALLY EVERY STREET IN THE TOWN, I'M AMAZED AT WHAT A FANTASTIC JOB PUBLIC WORKS DID.
BECAUSE THE ROADS ARE REALLY IN, IN GREAT SHAPE.
WHEN YOU SAID 80% OF THE ROADS ARE IN GOOD SHAPE, IT'S AN UNDERSTATEMENT.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE REALLY EXCELLENT.
EVEN SMALL LITTLE CUL-DE-SACS HAVE BEEN REPAVED.
SO THE THING IS, ORIGINALLY WE, WE USED TO SPEND $2 MILLION A YEAR, UM, ON IT.
AND NOW, YOU KNOW, IT WAS SEVEN, THIS YEAR WAS 7.8.
SO I SORT OF FELT, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I WAS HA YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S SAYING, OH, YOU DID A GREAT JOB.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING THE MONEY IN.
BUT AG AGAIN, YOU KNOW, YOU, IT'S NOT LONG TERM FUNDING.
SO RATHER THAN JUST FOCUSING ON THE NUMBERS THAT YOU YEAH.
WHAT YOU CUT, WHICH SOMEWHAT OB OBVIOUSLY IT'S ALL SUBJECTIVE.
I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT ABIL YOU, YOU'RE, THIS IS NOT YOUR LINE OF WORK.
YOU'RE TRYING TO CUT THE BUDGET.
WELL, CHIEF FINANCIAL, I, I CAN'T HIRE, I CAN'T FIRE.
YOU'RE THE BUDGET NOT DOING THIS SAME.
WHAT I'M ASKING IS, NOW THAT WE HAVE, AND YOU'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR CONTROLLER AND, AND WITH OUR COMMISSIONER LOOKING AT THIS AGAIN, ARE THERE AREAS THAT WE CAN REINSTATE AND SOME THAT YOU COULD MAYBE RECOMMEND, WE COULD MAKE SOME CUTS IN.
AND I, I HAVE, RATHER THAN GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES AND I HAVE, THAT'S JUST WHAT YOU, I DID,
WE PUT ON OLD, THE VARIOUS DOOR AND WINDOW PLACEMENT.
DO WE HAVE THIS LIST? IT'S ON THE SECOND.
UM, THE ONE THING, IT'S ON YOUR BUILDING.
EACH ONE OF THESE ARE ON HOLD.
UM, THE ONE ITEM HERE THAT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT YET, WHICH, UM, WE'VE REALLY BEEN VERY, UH, I GOTTA SAY BETWEEN OUR FRANK'S TEAM WITH BUILDING MAINTENANCE, THAT HE'S GROOMING, UM, THE MIS DEPARTMENT, THE SECURITY AND SAFETY UPGRADES WE'VE DONE TO THESE BUILDINGS, I THINK EVERYBODY CAN BEAR WITNESS TO IT.
WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO KEEP OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR RESIDENTS.
ANYBODY WHO OCCUPIES THESE BUILDINGS SAFE.
THAT'S ONE WHERE WE HAVE TO, IT'S, I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT IN THIS DAY AND AGE, YOU TURN ON THE TV ANY DAY AND YOU SEE SOMETHING GOD AWFUL HAPPEN.
WE ARE, I THINK IF YOU TALK TO THE EMPLOYEES THAT WORK FOR THIS TOWN, I THINK THEY'RE SO VERY HAPPY THAT SOME OF THESE THINGS HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE.
'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT GOING ON HERE.
UM, WE MAINTAIN A LOT OF BUILDINGS HERE.
UH, IF YOU WALK THROUGH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN DOING, UH, PUTTING AND PAINT UPGRADES, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT DEALS WITH THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS, THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF ANY OCCUPANTS OF ANY OF OUR BUILDINGS.
WE'VE BEEN UPGRADING FIRE BURGLAR CAMERAS, THE SYSTEMS TO GET IN THE DOORS.
WE'RE ADDING SYSTEMS, WE'RE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS.
AND I HATE TO SAY IT, I THINK YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT IT EARLIER, IT'S LIKE SOLAR.
YOU PUT IT IN YOUR HOUSE, FIVE YEARS LATER, IT'S GARBAGE.
SO YOU'VE GOTTA CONTINUALLY UPGRADE.
AND WE'RE SEEING THAT WITH THE CAMERAS, THE WIRING, ALL THESE THINGS ARE CONSTANTLY BEING LOOKED AT ASSESSED.
AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT'S BEEN EXCELLENT WITH HELPING US.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS, IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
THE OTHER ITEMS THAT I TALKED ABOUT WILL SHELF, AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT IF YOU GIVE KIMBERLY THE,
[01:40:01]
THE ABILITY TO DO WHAT SHE WANTS TO DO, SHE'S TOUGH.SHE'S NOT JUST GONNA LET US, UH, YOU KNOW, DOLL OUT MONEY.
THESE THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HERE TODAY, RIGHT? MM-HMM
YOU TALK ABOUT SEWER EAST, HARSDALE AVENUE, IF WE WOULD ALIGN THAT LINE YEARS BACK, WE WOULDN'T BE TALKING ABOUT THAT.
WATER MAIN PROJECTS, WE MET LAST WEEK WITH THE, UH, SOME OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS, THEY HAVE VERY SPECIFIC PROJECTS THEY WANT TO SEE GET DONE.
RIGHT? WE HAVE A PUMP STATION BUILT IN THE FIFTIES THAT WE ARE NOW PLANNING.
UH, THE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE MET WITH THE ENGINEERS.
WE HAVE TO SELECT AN ENGINEER AT SOME POINT TO REPLACE A, A BUILDING AND A SYSTEM THAT'S FROM THE FIFTIES.
WE HAVE ONE MORE WATER TANK THAT WE HAVE TO REPLACE OUTTA THE SIX WE OWN.
THEN WE GOTTA START REALLY DIGGING INTO THE, THE, TO THE GROUND.
WE HAVE A HUNDRED YEAR HYDRANTS OUT THERE.
THEY STILL WORK, BUT IT'S TIME.
THE SEWER LINES, THE DRAINAGE LINES, THE ROADWAYS.
THIS IS WHEN PEOPLE GET OUTTA THEIR HOUSE.
THEY GET UP IN THE MORNING, THEY TURN ON THE WATER, THEY EXPECT IT TO BE ON, THEY FLUSH THE TOILET, THEY EXPECT IT TO GO AWAY.
THEY DON'T WANT THEIR TEETH RATTLING OUTTA THEIR HEAD WHEN THEY GO DOWN THE ROADWAY.
AND THEY ALSO WANT US TO HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO MAINTAIN THOSE ROADS.
THAT MEANS PLOW TRUCKS, SANITATION TRUCKS, THE WATER AND SEWER TRUCKS.
SO, SO THAT'S GREAT THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED THOSE THINGS.
SO WE HAVE, SO OTHER FEELGOOD THINGS, WE KNOW ONE OF THOSE IS SOMETHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE, BUT THAT IS ALSO A FEEL GOOD THING.
RIGHT? WELL, EVERYTHING'S FEEL GOOD THING.
BUT YOU KNOW, I, I JUST HAVE TO GO BACK.
YOU SAID WE USED TO SPEND $2,000, NUMBER ONE, MAYBE IT WASN'T ENOUGH, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE IN THE SHAPE WE'RE IN.
AND, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO FACTOR IN THAT THINGS HAVE GOTTEN MORE EXPENSIVE.
SO IT, THOSE, THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SPENT 15 YEARS AGO MAY HAVE DOUBLED IN ANY CASE.
SO YOU, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT SUCH A SIMPLE EQUATION AND I I, I UNDERSTAND RESPECT AND APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS TO KEEP THE BUDGET AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE.
AND WE WANT TO, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO SEE RESIDENTS HAVE TO PAY A LOT OF MONEY OUT OF POCKET, BUT THEY'LL END UP HAVING TO PAY AT SOME POINT FOR THE HUGE PROBLEMS THAT HAPPEN, SUCH AS EAST HEARTS TO LAB, YOU KNOW, SO, SO THIS IS, THIS IS PROACTIVE.
MUCH OF THIS IS PROACTIVE AND WE HAVE TO BE, AND MUCH OF IT IS KETCHUP.
SO WE, WE REALLY HAVE TO BE PENNY WISE, POUND FOOLISH KIND OF THINKING.
AND I, I'M NOT CRITICIZING ANYTHING YOU SAY, OR EVEN DISAGREEING, YOU KNOW, I JUST FEEL THAT, AND I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES I'M A LITTLE HYPOCRITICAL BECAUSE I ALWAYS CUT AND I, AND THEN TWO MINUTES LATER I'LL TELL RICH AND, UH, FRANK TO, UH, DO A DRAINAGE PROJECT.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I PROBABLY TELL YOU TO, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M BENEFITING FROM MOST OF THESE PROJECTS BECAUSE I'M ALWAYS EMAILING YOU OR CALLING YOU AND TELLING YOU TO DO THINGS.
I'M ON ONE HAND CUTTING AND ON ONE ON THE OTHER HAND, I'M ASKING FOR, UH, IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE PROJECTS.
BUT, AND I GOTTA SAY, WHEN I WAS, AND THANK YOU FOR APPOINTED ME COMMISSIONER FIVE YEARS AGO, ONE OF THE THINGS I SAW WHEN I CAME ON BOARD HERE WAS, AND I KNOW FRANK AND LIZ VERY MUCH INTO THIS IS MAINTENANCE, RIGHT? WE TALK ABOUT THIS WITH THE SOMA RIVER, THE BRONX RIVER, THE MATT AND BROOK, WE STARTED PUTTING $2 MILLION IN, WHICH WAS NEW, RIGHT? AND THAT $2 MILLION STARTED TO GET US WHERE WE NEEDED TO GO.
I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT.
YOU SEE THE RESIDENTS COMING AFTER THE STORMS, RIGHT? YOU'RE ON THE FRONT LINE THERE WHEN THEY COME IN.
SO YOU BETTER THAN ANYBODY KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO GET DONE OUT THERE.
YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW THE INFRASTRUCTURE END OF IT, BUT YOU SEE IT WITH THE RESIDENTS THAT COME IN FRONT OF YOU.
WE ARE SLOWLY, JUST LIKE WITH THE ROADWAYS, WE'RE 80% BY NEXT YEAR, I HOPE TO TELL YOU THAT BUDGET WILL BE A LOT LESS BECAUSE WE'LL BE IN MUCH BETTER CONDITION.
IT'S THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS.
THIS ISN'T, I'M NOT LOOKING FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING OUT FRONT, YOU KNOW, A CARPORT FOR JOE DANKO
[01:45:01]
THAT'S HELPING EVERY RESIDENT OUT THERE THAT, THAT, THAT TRAVELS OUR ROADS THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE USING OUR, OUR SYSTEMS. IT'S AN INVESTMENT.AND WE WILL HAVE THE WATER AND SEWER TO YOU GUYS SHORTLY.
UH, WE WILL HAVE THE PRESENTATION ABOUT THE, THE ROADWAY SYSTEMS, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD NEWS.
WHEN YOU SEE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES WHERE THEY ARE COMPARED TO US, WE'RE IN REALLY GOOD CONDITION.
WE GOTTA GET, WE GOTTA TAKE THAT NEXT STEP SO THAT ULTIMATELY WE'RE SAVING MONEY BY DOING PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE.
I HAD A QUESTION JUST ABOUT THE ROADS, BECAUSE WHEN I'VE, THIS WEEKEND, I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME JUST ON MY BIKE.
UH, AND I'M, I'VE NOTICED THAT LIKE SOME OF THE ROADS THAT WE WERE PAVED, SAY TWO YEARS AGO OR THREE YEARS AGO, THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, ALREADY CRACKING.
AND I'M WONDERING, YOU KNOW, IT USED TO BE, YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST GOT IN THAT THE ROADS THAT WE REP PAVED WOULD LAST LIKE 15, 20 YEARS.
NOW, IT SEEMS TO ME, UH, THAT A LOT OF THE ROADS THAT ARE REPAVED AFTER FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE CRACKING.
ARE THEY REP PAVED OR PATCHED? NO, REPAVED.
AND I'M JUST, THERE WAS ONE CONTRACTOR YEARS AGO.
IT WAS CORE ONE CONTRACTOR YEARS AGO.
AND THOSE ROADS ARE, AND A LOT OF 'EM HAVE BEEN DONE ALREADY AND WE'RE CONTINUALLY FIXING IT.
BUT THERE WAS, AS THE COUNCILMAN SAID, THERE WAS ONE SEASON YOU REMEMBER THAT, OH, ARE, IT WAS BAD.
AND NOW WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE DEALING WITH THOSE.
SO, SO BASICALLY WHAT'S LIKE THE LIFE OF A, A ROAD THAT IS LIKE A ROAD THAT WAS REPAVED.
NOW, YOU KNOW, HOW LONG DO WE EXPECT IT, YOU KNOW, TO ASK? THAT'S NOT MY CORE THAT NO, THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND AGAIN, USE USE, IT'S, WELL, IT'S USE, BUT IT'S ALSO WHAT YOU DO, LIKE WHAT YOU SEE IN HERE.
AND THEN COUNCILMAN SHEEN SAID ROTARY RESURFACING AND PRESERVATION.
RIGHT? JASON KAPOOLA IS LOOKING OUTSIDE THE BOX TO THINGS WE COULD DO TO KEEP THE ROADS THAT WE FIXED IN GOOD CONDITION.
SO WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO REPAVE THEM.
MILL AND REBA, YOU KNOW, 15 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, WE'RE SPENDING MONEY TO SAVE MONEY.
IF YOU LET A ROAD GO TO THE POINT WHERE YOU GOTTA RECLAMATION, IT'S GONNA COST YOU A LOT MORE MONEY.
IF WE DON'T FIX THE ROADS, THE PIECES OF THE ROAD END UP IN THE CATCH BASIN, WHEN YOU GET A STORM, THE CATCH BASIN CONVEYS THEM THROUGH OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEM INTO THE, THE BASINS, THE BRONX RIVER, THE SOMA RIVER, IT'S, IT, IT JUST BUILDS.
WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR ROADS FIRST AND FOREMOST.
I LOOKED AT THIS, UM, AND NONE OF THIS IS EASY, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL GREAT PROJECTS AND WE'D LIKE TO HAVE IT ALL RIGHT.
UM, AND THEN I SAW THE CUTS TO INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, BASICALLY AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, OKAY, THESE ARE TOUGH CUTS, BUT THEN YOU DECIDED AFTER THE FACT.
BUT YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A MILLION DOLLARS FOR A FOOD SCRAP PRO PROGRAM.
AND SO THEN I COMPARE A MILLION DOLLARS FOR, UH, STARTING UP A FOOD SCRAP PROGRAM TO DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS OR A MILLION DOLLARS FOR A FOOD SCRAP PROGRAM TO RESURFACING THE ROADS AND MAINTAINING THEM SO THEY DON'T GET WORSE.
AND THAT'S WHERE IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.
LET ME, LET ME JUST MENTION SOMETHING ABOUT THE FOOD SCRUB, YOU KNOW, PROGRAM.
UM, WE PAY RIGHT NOW, HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH DO WE PAY THE COUNTY PER TON FOR GARBAGE? I LEARNED LONG AGO NOT TO GIVE NUMBERS WITHOUT THEM IN FRONT OF ME.
BUT WE, THE COUNTY CHARGES US, UM, PER TON FOR, FOR GARBAGE COUNTY DOES NOT CHARGE US FOR FOOD SCRAPS.
UM, NOW, OH, WE DO PAY FOR FOOD SCRAPS.
NO, BUT THEY DON'T, WE DON'T, I DON'T THINK THE COUNTY CHARGE.
IT'S LESS THE, THE FEE TO THE, FROM THE COUNTY IS THAT THE COUNTY CHARGES US IS NOT AS AS GREAT.
SO, SO MY FAILING IS THAT, UM, ALSO IN COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE FOOD SCRAP, UH, YOU KNOW, RECYCLING AND WHERE EVERYBODY DOES IT GARBAGE THAT IS COLLECTED IS SIGNIFICANTLY, YOU KNOW, LOWER REDUCED.
SO RIGHT NOW, WE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA TAKE, IT'S LIKE THE PAPER RECYCLING.
IT TOOK MANY, MANY YEARS FOR PEOPLE TO GET USED TO IT.
SO I FEEL THAT IF WE HAD CURBSIDE PICKUP OF, UM, FOOD SCRAPS, UM, EVENTUALLY, YOU KNOW, NOT THE FIRST YEAR OR SECOND YEAR, BUT, YOU KNOW, EVENTUALLY IT PROBABLY WOULD RESULT IN SIGNIFICANTLY LESS GARBAGE THAT EVERYBODY WOULD BE PUTTING IN THE CANS.
AND WE PROBABLY COULD GO TO LIKE A ONE DAY PICKUP RATHER THAN TWO DAY PICKUP.
'CAUSE PEOPLE WON'T NEED THE TWO DAY PICK PICKUP.
SO I THINK IT'S AN, A LONG-TERM INVESTMENT THAT ACTUALLY, UH, IF YOU PROJECTING
[01:50:01]
FIVE, 10 YEARS FROM NOW, WE'LL ACTUALLY SAVE, SAVE THE TOWN ON, YOU KNOW, MONEY.AND IT'S ALSO GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU, YOU, YOU RECYCLE, YOU PARTICIPATE IN THE FOOD SCRAPS.
AND, AND THAT'S ALL WELL AND GOOD, BUT WE HAVE IMMEDIATE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.
IT'S, IT'S GOING TO RAIN NEXT YEAR AND IT'S GOING TO RAIN HEAVY.
SO AS MUCH AS WE ALL SUPPORT FOOD SCRAPS, IT'S, IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S PRIORITIZING.
WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE A BETTER USE OF A MILLION DOLLARS? UM, THE FOOD SCRAP PROGRAM, WHICH I THINK WE, WE ALL SUPPORT, BUT YOU'RE ALREADY IN YOUR PROPOSED, EVEN WITH CUT WITH THE CUTS, YOU'RE OVER $51 MILLION FOR BONDING.
UH, THEN YOU WANTED TO ADD FOOD SCRAPS AND THEN YOU WANTED TO ADD ANOTHER SIDEWALK FOR A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
I MEAN, AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ON HERE CASH TO CAPITAL, CASH TO CAPITAL, CASH TO CAPITAL.
RIGHT? WE HAVE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT.
SO WE THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD LOOK AHEAD BASED ON WHAT YOU'RE EXPLAINING, IS THAT THE IMMINENT NEED FOR THE, WHAT YOU WANNA GET DONE THIS YEAR FOR 2027, THAT WE LOOK TO DOING THE FIRST.
THAT'S, AND, AND, AND IF, IF, UM, THE COMMISSIONER'S, UH, PREDICTIONS ARE CORRECT THAT BY MAKING THESE INVESTMENTS THIS YEAR OR IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, WE WILL BE SAVING MONIES IN THE FUTURE, THEN WE WILL HAVE THE MONIES TO IMPLEMENT FOOD SCRAPPING.
AND THAT TOO WILL PAY OFF IN ITS CYCLE.
BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT PORTION OF THIS DISCUSSION IS GONNA BE DEALING WITH THE REDUCTION OF FUND BALANCE.
SO WE, SO, YOU KNOW, SO KIMBERLY IS SUGGESTING THAT WE HAVE A FIVE YEAR PLAN TO CUT SPENDING.
SO WE MAY, SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, OH, WE MAY DO IT NEXT YEAR, WE PROBABLY ARE NOT GONNA DO IT NEXT YEAR OR THE YEAR AFTER OR THE YEAR AFTER, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE TOWN LONG TERM IS BASICALLY, UM, TO MAKE SURE THE TOWN IS RUN IN A FISCALLY PRUDENT MANNER.
SO THE THING IS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS RELATING TO CAPITAL BUDGETS MM-HMM
AND ALSO TO OPERATING BUDGETS.
UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD EITHER HAVE A VERY SIGNIFICANT TAX HIKE OR GRADUAL TAX HIKES TO, TO BE, TO BEEF UP THE, THE FUND BALANCE MM-HMM
OR, UM, YOU KNOW, OR YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, CUTS.
BUT WITH EVERY, AND, YOU KNOW, EVERY, EVERY SPEND, EVERYTHING THAT WE SPENT, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THE WAY THE TOWN'S BEEN RUN AND YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THE AVERAGE PERSON'S VERY PLEASED.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY TO THE PUBLIC, WE'RE GONNA, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TOWN DOES NOT RUN AND TO FISCAL PROBLEMS, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE.
AND, YOU KNOW, KIMBERLY HIGHLIGHTED THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE DONE, AND WE'RE GONNA JUST HAVE TO DO IT AND BITE THE BILLET.
KIMBERLY, WE'RE IN A SITUATION, I'M NOT SUGGESTING ANY ADDITIONAL CUTS.
I MEAN, I WENT THROUGH LINE BY LINE AND CUT WHAT I COULD.
I'M SUGGESTING INCREASING TAXES.
RIGHT? I THINK WE'RE RUNNING INTO A SITUATION LIKE WE HAD IN 2007 WHERE WE HAD 0, 0, 0, AND THEN IT WAS 24%.
WE HAVE TO AVOID DOING THAT, RIGHT? RIGHT.
I DON'T, SO WHAT, WHAT THE CONTROLLER IS SAYING IS, UM, WE HAVE TO START TO ADDRESS THE FUND BALANCE PROBLEM.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE COURTHOUSE IF WE SWITCH OVER TO THE OTHER BUDGET.
NOW IN THAT, AND I, I WENT BACK AND I CHECKED, AND IN 2019 WE ALLOCATED $7 MILLION.
UH, AND, AND IT WAS A LINE CALLED RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE.
AND THEN 2020 WE ALLOCATED 12 POINT, UH, 12, 12, UH, MILLION 500,000 FOR THE COURTHOUSE.
AND THEN IN AND 21 WE DID ANOTHER 12, FIVE.
AND THEN THE NEXT YEAR WE ALLOCATED $7.4 MILLION, 29.4.
AND THEN, UH, WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR THE COURTHOUSE IN 2023.
IN 2024
AND THEN IN THIS BUDGET, THE LINE
[01:55:01]
IS GONE.AND SO THE QUESTION IS, AND I THINK THE CONTROLLER HAS ESTIMATED $39 MILLION.
I MUST, I I DIDN'T GO BACK, I DIDN'T GO BACK ONE MORE YEAR.
AND THE QUESTION IS, WHERE IS THE $39 MILLION? AND I THINK SHE CAN ACCOUNT FOR 7.5 OR SO OF IT AND, UH, P AND L AND, UM, BUT WHERE'S THE REST OF THE MONEY? AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT BECAUSE IF WE NOW GO OUT TO THE VOTERS FOR ANOTHER TIME AND SAY, WE NEED YOU TO PAY FOR A COURTHOUSE THAT THEY'VE ALREADY PAID FOR.
THEY'VE ALREADY, THEY'VE, THEY'VE ALREADY PAID FOR $39 MILLION OF A COURTHOUSE.
WHAT DO WE DO TO HAVE A COURTHOUSE? LET, LET ME ASK, THIS WAS NOT A CAPITAL BUDGETS.
THE COURT HAS, THIS WAS, UH, OPERATING BUDGET.
SO CAN WE, SO, SO IT WENT INTO, IT WENT INTO OTHER, UH, YOU KNOW, PROGRAMS RELATING TO THE TOWN BECAUSE THAT RESERVED FOR A COURTHOUSE.
WELL, THE MONEY DIDN'T DISAPPEAR.
THE MONEY WAS USED, UH, TO, UM, TO REDUCE, UH, THE AMOUNT OF TAX.
WE SAID TO RESERVE FOR THE COURTHOUSE.
WELL, AGAIN, EVERYBODY ON THE TOWN BOARD VOTED FOR THE BUDGET.
YOU DID ALSO TO RESERVE IT FOR THE COURTHOUSE.
EVERYBODY, WHEN WE APPROVE, WHEN WE APPROVE THE BUDGET, UM, THE BUDGET WAS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY BY, BY THE TOWN BOARD EVERY SINGLE YEAR, UM, IN RECENT YEARS.
SO EVERYBODY ON THE TOWN BOARD, UH, BASICALLY APPROVED THE, WHAT DOES IT, EVERY ASPECT OF THE BUDGET.
WHAT DOES IT SAY? IT SAYS RESERVED FOR COURTHOUSE.
WELL, YOU, YOU'RE, YOU'RE THE LIAISON TO, UH, THE COMP CONTROLLER'S OFFICE.
WHERE DID THE MONEY GO? YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU, YOU'RE THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND YOU'RE THE, YOU'RE THE LIAISON TO THE CONTROLLER'S OFFICE.
AND, AND YOU KNOW WHAT? BUT I, YOU KNOW WHAT, UH, IT WENT INTO, UH, OTHER PROGRAMS THAT THE TOWN HAD IN THE OPERATING BUDGET.
SO YOU TOOK MONEY OUT FOR PAUL.
CAN YOU JUST GIVE A LIST OF THE PROGRAMS? I DON'T WANNA ARGUE BACK AND FORTH OR THE FUND BALLOT.
YOU JUST, CAN YOU JUST GIVE US A LIST OF THE PROGRAMS? THAT'S IT.
I JUST, IT'S EVERY, EVERYTHING.
CHRIS, CHRIS, WHAT LIST OF THE PROGRAMS THAT THE MON THAT THE OTHER, THE MONIES THAT, THAT ARE NOT, THAT WE DON'T HAVE.
THAT WAS RESTRICTED FOR THE COURTHOUSE.
CAN YOU JUST TELL US, YOU SAID THEY WERE USED FOR OTHER PROGRAMS. EVERY, EVERY TELL US WHERE THOSE PROGRAMS ARE.
YOU SHOULD KNOW JUST LIKE I DID, BECAUSE BASICALLY DID YOU VOTED FOR THE BUDGET AND FRANCE VOTED FOR THE BUDGET.
SO THE THING IS FOR RESERVE, FOR COURTHOUSE.
NO, YOU VOTE NO, YOU'VE DO WITH THE MONEY.
YOU KNOW WHAT, WHATEVER ROBERTA, ROBERTA WAS THE CONTROLLER AT THAT CHIEF AT THAT POINT.
AND YOU'RE THE, AND YOU'RE THE ODD LIAISON TO I'M ASKING YOU WAS THE MONEY, YOU KNOW WHAT DID, LET ME SAY SOMETHING.
YOU KEEP SAYING CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, KEEP SAYING, LET ME JUST SAY SOMETHING.
LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION, UH, TO JOE, AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, DO I HAVE THE POWER TO HIRE ANYBODY ON MY OWN? I HAVE TO DO NO, LOOK, NO.
I WANNA ASK BECAUSE YOU KEEP SAYING WHAT? NO, I HAVE NO POWER TO HIRE YOU.
LEMME ASK A QUESTION WITHOUT INTERRUPTION.
YOU COULD, UH, JOE, DO I HAVE THE POWER UNILATERALLY TO FIRE ANYBODY? YES OR NO? NO.
DO I HAVE THE POWER AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, UM, TO, UM, UM, TO A, TO UNILATERALLY, UH, ASK, UH, THE, FOR, UH, ASK THE AUDITORS TO DO, UM, A FORENSIC AUDIT ON 24 25? ANY YEAR THAT I WENT WITHOUT TOWN BOARD APPROVAL, WE'RE GOING SO FAR AWAY FROM NO, I MEANT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE FOR I'M, BECAUSE QUESTION? NO, BECAUSE I HAVE THE SAME KNOWLEDGE AS YOU DO.
BECAUSE I'M ONE OF FIVE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
YOU'RE TRYING TO COMPARE APPLES TO ORANGES.
NO, BECAUSE BASICALLY YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALL TRYING TO, UH, POINT FINGERS WHEN YOU'RE EQUALLY AT FAULT.
IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE WAY IT WAS SPENT AT THE LAST WORK SESSION, GO BACK AND LISTEN TO THE TAPE.
YOU SAID YOU WERE A CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND YOU EXPECT THE CONTROLLER TO FOLLOW YOUR DIRECTIVES.
AND IT'S YOUR BUDGET AND THEY DON'T BECAUSE IT'S CONTROLLER.
YOU KNOW WHAT, LET ME SAY SOMETHING.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, LET ME SAY SOMETHING.
WE WERE MAKING REALLY GOOD PROGRESS ON THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
I'D REALLY LIKE FOR US TO FINISH THAT FIRST BEFORE WE HAVE ANOTHER CONVERSATION.
SO I'S BEEN SOME GOOD COMPROMISE HERE, RIGHT? SO WE'RE GOING TO, YOU'RE STILL PROVIDING MORE INFORMATION, OKAY.
AND THESE, YOU'VE IDENTIFIED VERY, IN A VERY COMPELLING WAY WHY WE HAVE TO INVEST IN THE THINGS WE HAVE TO INVEST IN.
SO WE, WE WILL MAKE THAT FINAL DETERMINATION.
THAT WAS A VERY COGENT PRESENTATION.
[02:00:01]
YOU.THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
NO, WE HAVE A MOTION, RIGHT? WELL, COULD WE, COULD WE MAKE A MOTION? I THINK WE'RE DONE WITH ALL THE TOPICS.
WELL, ACTUALLY THE OPERATING BUDGET, UH OH.
KIMBERLY IS SAYING THAT SHE THINKS WE SHOULD, UM, ADDRESS THE, THE TAX ISSUE.
SO COULD YOU GIVE US, UH, YOU KNOW, A SUGGESTION FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, OVER, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD YOU THINK WOULD BE APPROPRIATE AND BOARD SHOULD DISCUSS IT, AND WE HAVE TO DISCUSS IT IN PUBLIC IN OPEN SESSION? I GUESS.
UM, SO I HAVE A TEMPLATE THAT I BUILT, UH, THAT HAS A PROJECTION.
IT'S GONNA HAVE THE BUDGET IN THERE.
I'M GONNA TAKE OUT THE APPROPRIATIONS, AND THEN I'M GOING TO, UM, PROJECT OUT THREE TO FIVE YEARS OF BUDGET PROJECTIONS, DIMINISHING THAT APPROPRIATION TILL WE CAN, YOU KNOW, APPLY TAXATION TO SUPPORT OURSELF AND MEET THE DEMANDS OF, UH, INCREASING EXPENSES THAT ARE OUTPACING THE REVENUES.
WHEN WOULD YOU HAVE THAT? SO I, IT DIDN'T TAKE ME TOO LONG.
I'M GONNA HAVE IT PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PROMISE WAS BY TUESDAY, BUT I THINK IT'LL BE DONE BEFORE THEN, PROBABLY BY FRIDAY.
AND WILL YOU BE FACTORING IN PUTTING BACK MONEY FOR THE COURTHOUSE? NO.
BUT THEN WHAT HAPPENS TO THE COURTHOUSE? I DON'T KNOW.
WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER DISCUSSION, BUT I'M NOT GONNA IMPOSE TAXATION TWICE ON SOMETHING YOU ALREADY TEXTED.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE PROBLEM AND THE FUND DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY IN IT.
WE DON'T EVEN HAVE, WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A, FOR THE COURTHOUSE RESTRICTED, WE DON'T HAVE A PLAN FOR THE COURTHOUSE YET, OR THE, UH, OR THE POLICE.
SO WHY WOULD WE BE, UH, PUTTING MONEY IN THE BUDGET WHEN, UH, WE'RE NOT GONNA SPEND IT IN 2027, BUT THE MONEY WAS PUT IN THE BUDGET BUDGET.
KIMBERLY, KIMBERLY, COULD YOU, UH, SAY WHAT YOUR TOTAL WAS FOR HOW MUCH WAS RAISED FOR THE COURTHOUSE FROM THE TAXPAYERS ALREADY? UH, $39,483,760.
AND OF THAT, WE SPENT 269,665, LEAVING A BALANCE OF $39,214,095.
AND, AND WHERE IS THAT MONEY NOW? WELL, 7.9 MILLION OF IT IS IN A, UH, RESERVE FOR COURTHOUSE AND THE BALANCE SHEET AND THE REST OF IT, I DON'T, I CAN'T ACCOUNT FOR IT BECAUSE, UH, THERE IS A, IT'S PRIOR TO, IT'S PRIOR TO BEING BALANCE, BUT IT'S NOT THERE.
THAT'S PRIOR TO YOU BEING CONTROLLER, RIGHT? YES.
I'M SORRY, THE LAST PART YOU SAID YOU COULDN'T, YOU COULDN'T LOCATE THE FUNDS? WHAT? I'M SORRY.
WELL, I CAN'T ACCOUNT FOR IT BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS PROBABLY USED TO, UH, KEEP THE TAX RATES DOWN.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATEMENT OF FUND BALANCE IN 2024, UH, 2023, IT ONLY HAS THAT 7.9 THAT WAS RESERVED.
AND WHAT'S LEFT IN THE UNRESTRICTED PORTION OF THE FUND BALANCE NOW IS $12 MILLION.
BUT, UM, THAT'S BUILDING PERMIT MONEY.
SO IF THAT FUND DOES NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO SUPPORT THE COURTHOUSE OR THE REST OF THE BUILDING PERMITS, THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RESTRICTED TO.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO, UM, HIGHLIGHTED THE FACT THAT, I MEAN, ARE, YOU'VE HIGHLIGHTED THE FACT OVER, OVER, UH, THE PAST MONTHS THAT MONEY THAT'S IN, UM, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET SHOULD BE SPENT, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A YEAR OR SO AND, UH, THREE YEARS.
RIGHT? BUT YOU, YOU ALSO SAID THAT, UM, YOU KNOW THAT THIS YEAR YOU'RE GIVING BACK $8 MILLION OF UNSPENT CAPITAL, 6 MILLION, 6 MILLION, 6 MILLION OF UNSPENT CAPITAL ON BUDGET.
RIGHT, BUT YOU SAID YOU'RE GONNA, YOU ARE RECOMMENDING NOW YOU'RE GONNA, WELL, IT'S GONNA GO INTO RESERVE LINE AND THEN I HAVE TO SEND IT BACK.
SO, SO IT'S NOT A RECOMMENDATION.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS TO HAPPEN WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING AT, BUT THAT'S NOT TAX PAYERS MONEY AND DEFENSE OF ROBERTA.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THAT SHE TOOK, NO ONE'S COMPLAINING ABOUT ROBERTA.
NO, BUT LEMME JUST SAY THE DEFENSE AND ROBERTA WE'RE NOT COMPLAINING.
WE'RE JUST, I'M SAYING, SAYING THAT THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED PRIOR TO HER.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING IN DEFENSE OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE, WITH THE COURTS, WE PUT MONEY IN THE BUDGET AND WE DIDN'T SPEND IT FOR A MINUTE, FOR A LONG TIME.
AND THEN WHEN I SPOKE TO, YOU KNOW, ROBERTA, YOU KNOW, YEARS AGO, WE SAID, DO YOU KNOW WHAT WE HAVE? YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO KEEP THE TAXES AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.
WE WANTED TO KEEP THE TAXES AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.
UM, AND THEN WE SAID, OH, DO YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S TAKE THE MONEY,
[02:05:01]
UM, UH, THAT WE WE'RE NOT SPENDING AND USE THAT MONEY THAT WAS ALLOCATED FOR THE COURTS FOR RESERVE COURTHOUSE.BUT ISN'T THAT RESTRICTED FOR I'M, BUT AGAIN, YOU, YOU WERE PARTICIPATING THE WORDING AND THE BUDGET THAT WE WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING IF YOU WERE, IF YOU WERE TO, BECAUSE DID YOU HAVE THE TIME AS LIAISON? DO YOU WANNA STAY AS LIAISON? BECAUSE IF YOU WERE LIAISON, YOU SHOULD HAVE FIGURED THIS OUT.
I SO WHEN DID YOU TELL, TELL THE, THAT YOU HAD TAKEN THE MONEY OUTTA THE COURTHOUSE? YOU VOTED ON THE BUDGET.
SO YOU KNEW, YOU KNEW BECAUSE IT WASN'T RESERVED.
YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? YOU WANNA STAY AS LIAISON TO THE, THE BUDGET DEPARTMENT? YES.
BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT, ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU ARE ACTING LIKE YOU'RE SURPRISED WHEN YOU BASICALLY HAVE A, A COMMAND OF BUDGETS.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT? IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA, IF YOU'RE KEEPING EVERYTHING TO YOURSELF, YOU ARE NOT DOING YOUR JOB AS LIAISON.
SO THAT'S WHEN I FIND OUT THAT $39 MILLION WAS RAISED FROM OUR CONTROLLER.
I, I SAID EARLIER, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING.
PAUL, YOU SAID ROBERTA AND I DECIDED, YOU SAID THE WHOLE BOARD.
NO, YOU KNOW WHAT, THEN YOU DIDN'T READ THE BUDGET DOCUMENT.
THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO THIS, HAVE THIS MEETING, AND WE TALK AND WE'RE ALL TRANSPARENT, UNDERSTANDING WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT'S GOING FORWARD.
I CAN ONLY SPEAK FROM THE TIME I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE DONE THIS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS PROCESS.
HELPS ME UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING.
BUT WE CANNOT CONTINUE WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE BECAUSE WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF FUND BALANCE.
SO KIMBERLY'S GOING TO RUN SOME NUMBERS TO SEE WHAT INCREASE THERE HAS TO BE YES.
IN ORDER FOR US TO SALVAGE A REALLY UNFORTUNATE FINANCIAL SITUATION.
AND YOU'LL DO THAT BY MIDNIGHT
THANK YOU FOR TAKING US THROUGH THIS, KIMBERLY.
WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO THAT NEXT WEEK? SLIP SHEETS.
UM, BUT WE'VE GOT TERRANCE SPENCER, WHEN DO YOU, WHEN DO WE DISCUSS THE SLIP SHEETS? UH, OR DO WE, I'M NOT SURE WHAT, WHAT IS THAT PROCESS LIKE? WHEN DO I GET THE INFORMATION FROM THE BOARD? YES.
TO PUT ON THE SLIP SHEETS? DO WE HAVE SLIP SHEETS? I HAVEN'T CREATED ANY BECAUSE I'M WAITING, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD.
SO, OR DO I JUST MAKE, DO THAT BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT TUESDAY? THINK OKAY.
YEAH, WE NEED TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING.
DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING ON FRIDAY? BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA BE DONE WITH YOUR, UH, UM, YOUR PROJECTIONS ON FRIDAY.
SO WHAT IF WE HAD A MEETING? I'M HOPING I, THEY WERE PROMISED FOR TUESDAY, BUT I'M HOPING TO HAVE THEM DONE BY FRIDAY.
SO IT'D BE A SPECIAL WORK SESSION.
SHOULD WE HAVE A SPECIAL WORK SESSION? UM, YOU KNOW, FRIDAY AFTERNOON? IT WOULD HAVE TO BE VERY LATE.
OKAY, THEN WE CAN'T, UM, WOULD HAVE TO BE, I COULD DO IT AFTER WORK.
THAT'S WHAT I MEAN, VERY LATE.
I, I, IF THAT'S, IF I HAVE THEM DONE BY THEN, I'M HOPING.
SO CAN WE, WE WILL TRY TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
SO WHY DON'T WE SCHEDULE A SPECIAL WORK SESSION AND IF WE CAN'T HAVE IT, WE CANCEL IT.
'CAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY LATER TO SCHEDULE IT.
OH, UM, THAT'S NOT A GREAT, UM, WHAT ELSE? WE DO IT AFTER.
LIKE IT? OR SHOULD WE DO IT MONDAY? SHOULD WE DO, HOW LONG DO WE NEED? YEAH, I CAN DO SEVEN.
SHOULD WE DO IT MONDAY? MONDAY? UH, YOU HAVE A SPECIAL WORK SESSION ON, ON MONDAY? UM, AND THEN WE COULD AND JUST FOCUS ON THE BUDGET MONDAY.
SO WE COULD SPEND MONDAY AND TUESDAY WORKING ON THE BUDGET MONDAY EVENING.
I'M ONLY AVAILABLE FOR, DOES THAT GIVE YOU ENOUGH TIME TO RUN THINGS? WHAT? I HAVE SOMETHING.
I MEAN, I CAN COME UNTIL THEN.
WHAT ABOUT DOING, LIKE, WHAT TIME COULD YOU GET HERE MONDAY? FIVE 15? YEAH.
SO SHOULD WE DO LIKE FIVE 15 MONDAY TILL, UH, YOU KNOW, TILL SIX 30 AND THEN WE'LL SAY, WE'LL JUST SPEND LIKE AN HOUR, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL WORK SESSION.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE.
I MIGHT HAVE TO SEND MY FIRST DEPUTY, BUT IT'S NOT A PROBLEM.
I NO, I'M GONNA HAVE TO SEND MY DEPUTY.
SO DO WE WANNA DO IT OR, OR NO, I MEAN, BECAUSE I HAVE TO
[02:10:01]
POST IT.IF WE ARE, IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY OF EARLY MORNING OR DOES THAT LIKE 8:00 AM I CAN'T DO DURING THE DAY.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M HERE.
SO FIVE 15 TO SIX 30 ON MONDAY.
I'LL MAKE SURE I TELL MY DEPUTY AND YOU AS WELL, CORRECT? PROBABLY I HAVE TO SPEAK TO MY DEPUTY.
AND THEN I PRESENT THE SLIP SHEETS ON WEDNESDAY, RIGHT? YEAH, YEAH.
WE, WE, WE SHOULD PUT IT UP ON THE WEBSITE, YOU KNOW, FOR A TUESDAY SO PEOPLE CAN SEE IT.
SO HOW QUICKLY, SO WE NEED TO GET, YES.
SO WE NEED TO GET THE SLIP SHEETS BY FRIDAY.
SO I WOULD, I ALSO WOULD NEED AN ANSWER ON THE CAPITAL IF I'M GONNA MOVE ALL THE CAPITAL OVER OR LEAVE IT AS IS, RIGHT? OH YEAH.
WE, SO I NEED, ARE WE JUST LEAVING THAT, ARE WE JUST GONNA LEAVE AT 50, 50% OFF 50% OF THE 8.7 MILLION AND THEN THE, THE VAN, ARE WE TAKING THAT OUT AND I MEAN, PUTTING THAT BACKS HUNDRED THOUSAND.
I, I, I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT WE WERE SAID IT CAN'T BE DONE.
WE'RE PUTTING EVERYTHING BACK.
I THOUGHT WE WERE PUTTING, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THE PROPOSED SALARY.
I THOUGHT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE NEW TAX RATE ON MONDAY, NOT THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
I THOUGHT WE WERE DONE WITH THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
I THOUGHT WE AGREED THAT WE WERE FALL.
THAT WE'RE GOING TO REINSTATE.
WHAT? YEAH, WHATEVER THE BOARD WANTS TO DO, WHAT THE COMMISSIONER SAID NEEDS TO BE REINSTATED.
AND WE'RE GONNA PUT OFF THE FOOD SCRAP PROGRAM UNTIL 2027, WHATEVER THE BOARD WANTS.
WHAT, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THAT TOTAL? WE SHOULD, I'LL TELL YOU THE YEAH, BUT, UH, WELL, HE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD BE, HE SAID THERE WAS, UH, FIVE EMPLOYEES AND, UH, THAT VACANT POSITIONS.
WHAT WE'RE DOING, RIGHT? YEAH.
WELL, WE JUST HAVE TO RESOLVE WHAT WE'RE DOING, SO, OKAY.
OH, I THINK YOU SHOULD PROBABLY PUT THE SLIP SHEETS TOGETHER FOR MONDAY TO DISCUSS.
WHAT PERCENTAGE RATES WE NEED TOGETHER.
NOW DO WE HAVE A MOTION? NO, NO.
UH, ARE WE DOING WORKS? ARE WE, WERE GONNA, WITH HOLIDAY CONVERSATION, WE WERE GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT WORK SESSIONS WE WERE DOING FOR DECEMBER.
SO ARE WE GONNA STILL DO A WORK SESSION ON SESSION ON TUESDAY THE 16TH? IT'S, YES.
SORRY, THE 23RD ARE, WE'RE STILL DOING ONE ON THE 23RD OR THE 30TH? I'M AVAILABLE, BUT I'M AWAY.
UH, THE LAST WEEK I'M AVAILABLE BOTH.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE, NO, LET'S NOT HAVE THAT.
THE, THAT'S THE ONE THAT THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS EVE AND THE ONE THAT'S NIGHT BEFORE NEW YEAR'S EVE, THE 23RD.
SO 23RD I'M AVAILABLE 30TH YEAR.
THAT'S WHAT MY DOG, YOUR HUSBAND
MY DOG IS IN HERE MAKING A RUCKUS.
I WANT HIM TO COME GET THE DOG
SECOND, WHAT WE NEED PURPOSES.
OH, FOR, FOR WHAT REASON? LEMME SEE.
UM, TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE ON VARIOUS PENDING, PROPOSED, AND, UM, WHAT'S THE LAST WORD I'M LOOKING FOR? PENDING AND PROPOSED LITIGATION.
AND TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS OKAY.
INVOLVING SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS.